Eyeshield 21 CRANKED UP
by WhispersInSilence
Summary: Hiruma walked out of the apartment building, shoving his hands in his pockets. Looking across the street to the third floor, he stopped for a minute. "I was so sure… in fact, this is the first time I've been wrong in recruiting a player..."
1. Survey says Stalker

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Chapter 1: Survey Says... Stalker.

_"Huh? Promotion?" Kazumi McBradford put her spoon back into the cereal bowl without taking a bite. "Dad did?"_

_"Yes… but it's becoming a complicated situation… uh…" her mother paced a few steps, running her fingers through her hair. "The area around us… well… there aren't any dance teams or studios there, so-"_

_"What?!" Kazumi shot up from the table. "Mom, I've told you this a million times, if I can't dance, I'll die." She walked over to her mom and grabbed her hands. "I don't care if it means living alone and working part-time, I HAVE to keep dancing! No matter what!"_

_After a long moment, her mother sighed heavily. "Well… you're seventeen. More than responsible for your age. And you've balanced numerous dance lessons, summer jobs, and homework since you started school. I'll talk to your father tonight when he calls, and we'll discuss it."_

_"Thanks mom!" Kazumi pulled her mother into a tight hug_

"GOOOOOOD MORNING TOKYO!!"

"AAAAHHH!" Kazumi fell out of bed, hitting her head on the hardwood floor. "Owwww… I really need to learn how to set the alarm volume at something that isn't so loud… "

A banging from below her made her scramble to turn down the volume. "Oh crap, I woke her up again…!"

"YOU HOOLIGAN! KEEP THE NOISE DOWN!"

"S-sorry Takeno-sama!!" She turned the volume dial down a bit more, then grabbed her school uniform and rushed to the shower.

Fifteen minutes later, she was out, braiding her still-wet hair into pigtails and donning her glasses.

_General rule of thumb for any first day at school: Keep a blank face, be unassuming, and analyze people to pick out the friendly faces. The next day is when your character should show a little._

She looked in the mirror. It wasn't very cute, but she preferred to not dress up for school. For some reason, she just felt smarter if she did it. Once, she actually tested it, and found out that her grades slipped if she wore makeup! ...Well, it wasn't entirely accurate, since she didn't understand what they were learning in math beforehand, but it was convincing enough to sway her, anyway.

Grabbing an bagel sandwich with egg and sausage from the fridge (she always cooked meals the night before), she stuffed her feet in her shoes and ran out the door, bag and bento in hand

When she got to the first floor, an old woman came out of her apartment and blocked her path.

"This complex was so peaceful before you showed up. Why can't you-"

"I know, I'm really sorry, but I'm going to be late-!" She bolted around the woman and ran down the street.

After a block or two, she slowed to a walk. "Whew! School is great! Gives me an excuse to avoid a lecture from that old lady!" Seeing the school a few blocks away, she fell serious. "Ok Kazumi, just don't draw attention to yourself today."

~!~

Hiruma plopped down in his seat, in the back corner next to a window. _Just as I requested. Hah, those teachers are too easy…_

Satisfied that he got to switch seats two weeks after the term started, he leaned back. Today was going to be interesting. This would be Deimon's first match against the White Knights since last year's scrimmage… his eyes narrowed at the memories of that game.

_I don't care what I have to do to that team, we're going to crush them!_

Just then, the sensei caught his attention.

"We have a student transferring into this class today from America. Everyone, this is McBradford Kazumi-san."

He looked over at the girl standing at the front of the classroom. She had Asian features, but her bright orange hair made her stand out from the rest of the group, not to mention that she was taller than normal. Thick-rimmed glasses sat on her nose, and she surveyed the class with no expression at all.

He shrugged to himself and ignored her introduction to the class, staring out the window instead. _Typical nerd. Whatever, probably just more slave labor._ Pulling out his notebook, he jotted down her name. _Now all I need is some good information about her. Maybe she transferred in late because her family had to move? Maybe because of something less than legal?_ He grinned to himself. _I wonder what dirty little secrets I'll find in your past…_

"Kazumi, your seat is next to Hiruma-san. Hiruma-san, um, please raise your hand…" the sensei frowned a bit as he looked in Hiruma's direction. The other students whispered nervously under their breath. He smirked to himself. _Seriously, way too easy_.

"Yeah, yeah, here I am." He waved lazily.

The girl made her way to the back of the classroom, and sat on his right. He looked over at her casually to see if there was any reaction. She seemed to sense that he was looking at her, because she turned her head slightly, and then looked up at him.

Her eyes were bright blue, something he hadn't noticed because of her glasses and completely blank, except for maybe a slight expression that said, "Are you going to say something?"

His eyebrows creased together. She wasn't showing any fear. _That's a first. Maybe she's not a nerd at all. She could just be an idiot._

After a moment, he saw her eyebrow twitch a little, as if trying to stop an expression from forming on her face, and she looked back up at the board where the sensei was teaching.

Hiruma looked out the window again for the rest of morning classes, but occasionally, he would glance over at this new transferee.

_This chick is weird…_

~!~

_THAT GUY IS SCARY!!_

Kazumi jotted down the notes that sensei was giving them about trigonometry, but she could sense that guy next to her looking at her out of the corner of his eye. She repressed the shiver from going down her spine, and kept her face blank.

_He just keeps looking at me without so much as a 'hello'! And what was with that random staring contest earlier? What is this guy, some sort of perverted stalker or something?_

She was happy to escape when the bell rang for lunch period. Grabbing her bento and a book, she walked out of the classroom and down the hall.

_I wonder where the roof is at…_

Just then, someone called out her name, she spun around, recognizing one of the girls from her class.

"Oh, uh… hello."

"Hi there, I'm Mio!" She smiled up at her. "Well, actually, it's Mizuko, but everyone just calls me Mio."

"Oh. Ok Mio, uh, what-"

"So it's too bad you got stuck between two guys huh? Hiruma-san's so scary, but Tenshi-kun…" She wandered off, a glazed look on her face.

"Ah… who? I didn't really notice the other guy."

A flash of anger seemed to spread across the other girl's face, but it was gone so quick, Kazumi wondered if she'd seen it at all. "Oh, really? He was looking at you an awful lot during class. You know, I bet he thinks you're cute!"

"Ah…really? I wasn't really paying attention. Hir-"

"Hey, hey, do you want to meet up with my friends and I after school to go shopping?" Mio smiled sweetly up at her again. "I'd like to introduce you."

Kzumi's head was spinning from being interrupted so many times. "Um… I don't have a ton of time after school… but I think I could spare an hour or so?"

"Great! Then meet us up outside of the football club's storeroom. It's right outside, next to the field. See you there!!" And with that, Mio ran off down the hall.

Feeling rather tired, Kazumi wandered up to the roof in a daze.

_What the heck was that about? So hyper… is everyone in Japan like this?_

~!~

After school Hiruma was torn between following the transfer student home (what was her name again? Karin? Katara?), and getting the rest of the preparations for tonight's game settled ahead of schedule. He finally picked following, since it was more interesting, and set off after her once she left the classroom.

_What the- Why is she heading over to our club building?_

A group of girls standing there looked to be waiting for her. Hiruma recognized the one in front.

_Ah, so Mio's at it again, protecting her precious Tenshi-kun. That transfer student must be an idiot, walking blindly into that..._

~!~

"Who do you think you are, transferee? Stay away from Tenshi-kun!"

The slap fell across her face, stinging painfully. Kazumi resisted the urge to fight back. _Geez… I didn't even do anything, and here I am getting bullied!_

"Mio, I already told you, I didn't even notice he was-"

"That makes it worse, idiot! How could you ignore him?!" Another slap across the other cheek was given.

"Don't get too full of yourself. We'll be making sure you don't."

As the group walked away, she rubbed her cheek, frowning a little. _First day of school, and this has to happen… well, at least now I know which faces to avoid. And whoever you are Tenshi-kun, you're officially off my list of potential boyfriends. The stakes involved are just too high._

She walked towards the gate, and set off down the street. _As soon as I get far enough away… I'll be able to vent a little. Geez, first days are always a pain in the rear…_

~!~

Hiruma snuck behind her as she turned a corner, walking past larger buildings. _Why is this chick taking my route home…? Don't tell me she lives close by._ He grinned. _This'll just make things easier._

Suddenly, she stopped in a more deserted and run down area of the block, and clenched her fists.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH! GIRLS LIKE THAT MAKE ME SO PISSED OFF!"

Hiruma gaped as the girl kept yelling at the sky. _What the…This chick really is crazy!_

"Stupid, stupid, stupid-!" The girl marched over to a tin can in the middle of the sidewalk, and backed up. Running forward, she kicked it high in the air between two buildings into an alleyway.

"STUPID!" she yelled as her foot made impact.

And the can went up…

And up…

Right between the two buildings…

And into a dumpster.

After a second of staring at it, the girl began to laugh.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh my gosh, it… it went right in! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, that dance training really helped! Oh gosh, my stomach hurts… He he he he…." She was doubled over with fits of giggles.

Hiruma's mouth slowly spread into a wicked grin.

"Gotcha, transferee."

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Uh oh! Looks like Kazumi is going to be targeted by Hiruma for the football team as a kicker! Will his usual methods convince her? And what about Musashi-kun? What's going on?!!!!

Please review, this is a chapter i put up to test the public on my idea. Tell me what I should change, maybe, or whether you like it as is!! Thanks loves!!


	2. Mafia Bosses Tick Me Off

**Don't forget to reveiw, please! It really helps me analyze my own writing, and generate more ideas. Thanks!**

~!~

**Chapter 2: Mafia Boss Types Tick Me Off...**

Kazumi slid open the door to the classroom, yawning and stretching as she walked back to her seat.

_Oh? Stalker-kun isn't here yet._

"Did you see that eyeshield guy?!"

"So fast, it was amazing!"

She looked up at the two people standing in front of her desk. "What's going on guys? Did something happen yesterday?"

One of the guys looked down at her. "Oh, yeah, she's a transfer student, so she doesn't know about the football team."

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "What, are you guys well known for your team or something?"

The other guy laughed. "Hardly! We haven't had a decent team for ages. But yesterday we scrimmaged with the White Knights!"

"Did we… win?" Kazumi cocked her head to the side in question.

"Well… not exactly. But we still scored points against them, and even that's a huge accomplishment for our team." They both grinned down at her, and she smiled a little back.

"Um… cool. So, is anyone in our class from the team?"

The two guys looked around the classroom. "Ah! There's one of the players! Kurita-kun is a lineman on the team. He managed to overcome Ojou's second-best defense player a couple times!"

A large boy turned around in his seat. "Huh? D… did someone say my name?"

"Yeah, we were talking about how well you did yesterday. Great job blocking that guy, he was huge!"

Kurita scratched the back of his head "W-well, thanks, but it wasn't just me you know. The whole team worked hard… and, we're still out of the tournament."

"But you guys are entering the Christmas Bowl, right?"

"Y-yeah! It's been our dream since junior high!"

"Uh… from what I hear, the Ojou White Knights are hard to beat?" Kazumi was totally lost in this conversation since she never really watched football at all, but she still wanted to start finding common ground with her classmates today.

Kurita looked over at her. "Oh, you're the transfer student, right? Kazumi-san. Nice to meet you." He smiled ear to ear.

She smiled shyly back. _He's adorable! ...For a big guy. Like a giant fluffy teddy bear. Does he really play football?_

"Ojou's tough to beat, alright. They've got one of the best defensive lines in the country. And their ace player Shin is the scariest one of all, with his spear tackle!"

"What are you doing, Kurita?" A foot suddenly made contact with Kurita's head, and knocked him out of his chair.

"G…good morning, Hiruma." Kurita sat back up in his chair, and smiled tentatively at him.

Hiruma glanced over his shoulder. Kazumi was gaping at him with wide eyes and open mouth.

"What do you want, transferee?"

She leaned to the side, catching Kurita's eye, and pointed at Hiruma.

"It… it talks?"

Most of the students near her looked frightened. Some of them (including Kurita) tried to stifle nervous laughter. Hiruma just smirked.

"Glad you have enough brains to figure out what speech sounds like, idiot." He plopped down in his chair, and pulled out a small notebook with a bunch of color post-it notes sticking out of it, and started writing in it. "You'll need them after school, starting today. You're joining the football team."

~!~

Hiruma watched as her face contorted into several different emotions at once. _So, yesterday's act was all a sham? This girl… just what goes on in her empty head?_

"Uh… excuse me?"

"As quarterback and captain, I'm recruiting you. You're joining the football team, starting today. I'll find you after school so we can run over the tapes of our last game and-."

"Woa, hold up." She cocked an eyebrow, frowning. "What if I refuse?"

He just grinned at her. _I'll figure out something to convince you. Don't worry._

Slowly looking away, she began unpacking her books with a confused look on her face. "Not that I think you're serious at all, but if you are," she looked up at him. "I don't think you'd want me on the team."

"Why not? That kick yesterday was spectacular."

She stopped short, and looked up at him, shocked, blinking a couple times. He grinned fiendishly. _Oh? Could this be the source of blackmail I'm looking for?_

"What the heck- when did you-… I KNEW IT!" She suddenly thrust her hand forward, pointing her finger in his face. "I knew from the moment I met you that you were the creepy stalker type!" She sighed, and put her head in her other hand. "Look, I… I understand if you're attracted to me, but you should really come out and say it. Following me home, and then joking around about stuff like this is just too-"

"We take the same route home. You live in the apartment complex across from mine." He leaned back in his chair, annoyed. _No luck there, either._

Her face flushed red, and she slowly took her hand out of his face. "Oh… well… then… small world, huh? Ha ha ha… oy." She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and pushed her glasses up her nose. "Mmmm, I think I should start over." Turning her head back towards him, she smiled at him. "I'm glad you thought my kick was great yesterday, but I can't join the team. I have no time."

"You have enough time to kick cans around." _She's shy one moment, a basket case the next, and calm after that…? Whatever, I'm just going to ignore her crazy habits right now. Somehow, I need her to join until Musashi decides to come back._

"That was yesterday, before I went to work, and did my homework, along with other things. I really don't have any free time to spare."

He frowned, eyes narrowing. "What's 'other things'?"

She frowned right back. "'Other things' is 'other things'. I've got my own stuff to put all my effort into, and it's not football. So, I'm very sorry, but I really can't join. Ever. And nothing you say is going to change my mind."

Hiruma's eyes narrowed into a glare. _Oh, you'll join. As soon as I figure out what your weakness is, you'll be on your knees begging to join._

~!~

On the roof after school, Kazumi wrapped her jacket around her to keep the wind from making her colder than she already was from the look Hiruma gave her before classes started.

"Geez… I've met some intimidating guys in my day… he takes the cake." She rubbed her arms, trying to shake off the memory of his eyes boring into her. "But what on earth did I do? I mean, I get it if he's passionate about football, but why does he bully people into the club?"

A thought occurred to her, and she laughed a little, despite her bad mood. _He's like a mafia boss, blackmailing people, finding out their secrets. Where the heck did he grow up learning to act like that? Is he crazy, or just stupid?_

A raindrop hit her cheek. "Oh boy, I'd better get inside… I need to get home and change for work before this gets too bad."

Running back down the stairs to her classroom, she headed back to her desk to grab her bag-

But it was gone.

Frantically, she searched all over the classroom, wracking her brain as to where else she could have put it. Suddenly, she noticed that there was a note lying on her desk.

_"Transferee,_

_Follow these directions, and I might give you your bag back. No guarantees that I won't look through it in the meantime._

_Ya~Ha!"_

A map directing her to another room in the school was below the message. She crumpled the note in her hand, and walked out of the classroom.

_I don't care who he thinks he is, this is going too far!_

She followed the map to the second floor, and slid open the door to the indicated classroom with a bang.

"HIRUMA!"

"U-UWAAAH!" A small boy dropped a stack of photos that he was holding and jumped out of his seat, startled.

Kazumi looked around the classroom. Aside from the kid, there wasn't anyone else there. "Ah… Sorry for disturbing you, but I'm looking for Hiruma."

"He, uh, isn't here yet." The boy sat back down in his seat. "Did… did he do something again?"

She looked at him. "So this isn't the first time, hunh? Doesn't surprise me very much." She walked over and sat next to him. "He's trying to recruit me for the football team."

"You?! Seriously?!" The kid stared at her in shock. "How come?"

"Apparently, he saw me kick a can between a couple of buildings, and thought I was just _perfect _for the team." She sighed. "He stole my school bag, so now I'm going to be late for work. It's my second day; I don't want to get fired…"

Just then, the rain picked up into an all out downpour. Kazumi groaned.

"And now my uniform's going to get soaked. Why didn't I watch the weather…?"

The boy looked at her for a moment, and then reached down beside him. "Uh… I have an umbrella. You can take it for today, when you leave…"

"What? No, no, I shouldn't, that's yours, and you could get sick walking in the rain."

He shrugged shyly, not looking at her. "W-well, it's better if I get wet, doncha think? Since I'm a guy and all… R-really, I don't mind. Please take it when you go home." He looked up at her. "If you don't want to take it because you're a girl and I'm a guy, then just consider it an apology for whatever it is Hiruma's doing to you." He looked at the ground again. "I know how it feels… but really, I don't think he's bad all the time…"

She was taken aback for a moment, and then grinned from ear to ear. _Aww. Chivalry isn't dead after all. How come all the people who know Hiruma are so sweet?_

"Well… if you insist, I … I guess I can…" She set her chin in her hand. "What's your name, kid?"

"K…Kobayakawa…Sena."

"Ok, Sena-kun, then I'll return this to you tomorrow after school, if that's ok with you."

"Ah… um, actually, that umbrella belongs to a friend of mine. She lent it to me… so, could you give it to her instead?"

"Sure thing. Who's your friend?"

"Mamori nee-chan. You can just tell her I let you borrow it." He looked up at her, smiling a little. "Um… what's your name?"

"Me? Oh, I'm…" She paused for a moment. _Oh yeah, say my last name first. Got it._ "I'm McBradford Kazumi. Call me Kazumi-senpai. You're absolutely sure you'll be ok without the umbrella?"

He nodded.

"Nothing for it then, I guess… Well, I can just take some comfort in that old saying…"

He looked confused. "Huh?"

"Handsome men can't be hurt by water." She grinned at him, and ruffled his hair. "Aw you're blushing! How cute."

"Eh heh heh… s-so um, how do you know Hiruma-sen-"

"OY, SHRIMP! DONE WITH THE PHOTOS YET?!" Hiruma blasted through the doorway, followed by a nervous-looking Kurita. He stopped when he saw Kazumi sitting at the desk next to Sena. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the transferee. Looking for this?"

He raised his arm up, revealing her bag held tightly in his fist.

She stood up. "Yeah. I'd like that back, if you wouldn't mind." Grabbing the umbrella, she walked over to him, and held out her hand. "Now, please. I'm going to be late for work."

"I dunno. There are a lot of advantages to me keeping it. Like forcing you to join the team, for example..."

"Fascinating." She said flatly, then suddenly grabbed him by the necktie and brought his face inches from hers. "You think you're the only person in this school who can be scary? Hm?" Reaching with her other hand, she snatched the bag away from Hiruma, and shoved him away, making him stumble into a wall.

"No more of this crap, Hiruma. This is the last time I'm telling you, I'm not joining. And if you think petty pranks like this will help convince me otherwise, you're even more of an idiot than I thought." She walked halfway through the doorway, and then turned around.

"It was nice meeting you Sena. Thanks for the umbrella. And you too, Kurita. Good luck to you both handling that son-of-a-gun." And with that, she walked down the hall.

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Oh snap! Kazumi and Hiruma aren't really hitting it off very well, huh? But what exactly is this 'other things' that our protagonist mentioned earlier? And will Hiruma ever discover Kazumi's achilles heel? Keep reading to find out!!

Review, Review, Review!

Please? :3


	3. Don't Run Away

**Hello again!**

**After getting some reviews (YAY!), I cleaned up my writing skills a bit. Thanks to everyone who contributed. I hope your questions and misgivings are answered in this chapter :D**

**Don't forget to review, everyone!**

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**Chapter 3: Don't Run Away!**

Hiruma was shaking. His teeth ground together. His fists clenched.

_NO WAY AM I LETTING THAT ONE SLIDE!_

Slamming the door open, he marched down the hall after her. He didn't care who she was or where she was from, there was NO WAY she could just walk away after doing something like that and not expect retaliation.

Arriving at the stairwell, he flung the door open, ready to fly down the stairs and catch up to her-

She was standing in front of the stairs, leaning against the wall with her thumb and finger pinching the cartilage between her brows. She looked up, and her eyes widened as she saw the rather large gun pointed straight at her.

"Are...are you crazy?! That's a gun! You bring guns to school?! How the heck-"

"Just shut up already." He poked her in the abdomen with the barrel, and her mouth snapped shut. He grinned. _So what if it's not loaded, just looking at a gun shuts them up. Hah!_ "Now, what's this about me being an idiot?"

"Ah... look, Hiruma, m-maybe I ran my mouth a little, but p-putting a gun-"

"You're going to learn very quickly the two most important lessons you'll ever hear at this school." He grabbe her arm and stepped toward her, pushing the barrel a little further into her stomach. "First, no one pushes me around. Especially brats like you who can only talk big. Second," he tightened his grip, and she gritted her teeth a little. "Nobody calls me an idiot. Not without punishment."

She opened her mouth and let out a barely audible whisper. "I… I understand. I said things without thinking. S…sorry."

He threw her arm down, causing her to stumble back into a wall. "I won't forgive you for just an apology, idiot! Tomorrow, you're going through hell. And don't even _think_ about skipping. It'll be much worse for you if you do."

"O… okay."

He swore violently under his breath, and opened the door to get back to the classroom. Turning around he gave her an icy look.

"You're very lucky you're a girl, and new to this place. Next time you open your naive little mouth, keep your crap to yourself. I won't go so easy on you if this happens again."

The door shut with a loud bang, echoing around in the stairwell.

~!~

Kazumi turned slowly towards the stairs and headed down to the first floor, rubbing her arm where Hiruma had gripped it. She hung onto the rail, knuckles white.

_I'm such an idiot for choosing this place over Ojou. Ojou at least has a cheerleading squad. So what if this school is closer to the place where I've always wanted to dance at? Is Aizou Studio really worth getting bullied for?_

Stepping outside, she opened up the umbrella, and looked at her watch. _I'm really late. Wonder if I'll get fired…?_

Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Someone was watching her. Slowly looking up from under the umbrella, her eyes wandered to the second floor.

Hiruma was looking down at her with eyes that sent ice up her spine. Biting her lip, she ducked quickly under the umbrella again, and ran out of the schoolyard.

~!~

The next morning, she got up earlier than usual to make sure Hiruma knew she wasn't going to chicken out of… whatever it was he was up to, concerning her. She made sure to grab the umbrella she had borrowed from Sena before leaving, and headed out of the apartment building. _Uuuuu… I got fired yesterday for being 20 minutes late… now I have to find another job…_

As she started down the sidewalk, she spotted Hiruma walking just ahead of her across the street. Blanching, she ducked between two buildings.

_I…I forgot he lived so close to me! What kind of crappy luck to I have, living across the street from this creep?! My confidence is all gone now…_

Steeling herself as much as possible, she started walking down the street again, occasionally glancing at him to check if he'd noticed her walking there yet. _I just have to keep cool. Yeah. Just stay calm, and everything will be ok…_

As they neared the school, he turned the corner first, and saw her.

Panicking, she threw up her hand in the air. "G-GOOD MORNING! NICE DAY ISN'T IT?!" _Oh crap, me and my big mouth…_

His mouth slowly curved upwards into a sadistic grin. "Yeah. It's perfect for what I have planned for you after school." Turning towards the entrance, he walked inside, whistling.

Dropping her arm, she hung her head and walked across the street towards the gate. _Ugh, so much for keeping my cool…. I'm such an idiot…_

"WATCH OUT!"

Looking up she saw a truck barreling towards her. "UWAAAA! WHEN DID THAT GET THERE-?!"

The truck honked its horn loudly, further startling her into a frozen position. Thankfully, it screeched to a halt… about three inches from where Kazumi was standing.

"WATCH IT GIRL! THIS IS A STREET YOU KNOW!!"

"S…sorry!" She darted to the sidewalk and put her hands on her knees, breathing deeply to clam her self down. _Oy. That'll give you some perspective on life._ _Whatever Hiruma has planned, it can't be worse than dying, right?! …I hope. _She straightened up, and, trying to gather her courage, walked through the school's gates.

_Ahh, who am I kidding? I'm scared out of my mind, here!_

"Ah… Ka-Kazumi-senpai?"

She turned and saw Sena walking towards her. Her lip quivered, and she darted towards him.

"SENA-KUUUN!"

He took a step backwards, holding up his hands. "Ka-Kazumi, wh-wh-wh-"

"I'M SO SCARED!!!" She leaned over, grabbing his shoulders. "PLEASE HELP MEEEE!!"

"H-Huh? What're you talking about?"

She suddenly hung her head. "Fate…fate's against me. I live across the street from a demon with an arsenal, and trucks going high speeds are drawn to my scent…"

He patted her arm awkwardly, looking completely lost. "Uh… I'm guessing it's about yesterday right? Wh… why don't we go to the club building and talk. I think something to drink would help you calm down… um…"

She looked back up at him, startled, then started sniveling. "Thang gyuoo Sena-guuuun…"

"Ah hah… c-come on, senpai…" he walked ahead of her to the club building, opening the door for her.

They both stared.

"Ca…Casino?"

"I came to a casino by mistake…?"

Stepping back, they looked up at the roof of the building. A huge gaudy sign advertising the football club loomed over them. They both jumped back.

"WHAT THE HECK?!"

"S-Sena? Who's this?"

Sena turned towards another girl who had shown up (seemingly from nowhere!). "Ah, Mamori-nee-chan. This is Kazumi-senpai. We met by accident the other day."

Kazumi held out the umbrella. "Uh… this belongs to you? Sena let me borrow it, cuz I forgot my own…"

Mamori took the umbrella, blinking a couple times, then nudged Sena slyly with her elbow. "I never knew you went for older girls, Sena. You're so cute…"

"EEEH?! I-i-i-it's nothing like that!!"

She turned to Kazumi, grabbing her hands. "I know he can be troublesome, but please take care of my little brother!"

Getting into the act, Kazumi knelt. "I swear on my mother's grave, he will find no better partner and protector than I!"

"STOP TEASING ME!!"

They both burst into laughter, and Mamori helped Kazumi up again. "We're not really related, we've just known each other since we were kids. You're the transfer student from America, right? It's nice to meet you." She held out a hand, which Kazumi took eagerly.

"Well, sorta. I was born in Ireland, but I lived most of my life in Atlanta. It's nice to meet you too."

Pausing, Mamori looked at Kazumi's arm. "H-hey, what happened? That looks painful."

Kazumi took her hand away, rubbing the darkening bruise self-consciously "O-oh that. Well, uh, you see-"

"Hey, Mamori-chan, what are all those posters for?"

Kazumi silently thanked Sena for changing the subject. Mamori smiled over at him.

"Ah these?" She adjusted the rolls in her other arm. "They're my secret weapon. TA-DA!"

"Oh, so you did it huh?" Hiruma suddenly grabbed one of them out of Mamori's hand.

"H-hey, cut it out!"

Right behind Hiruma, Kurita noticed Kazumi hanging back. "Ah… good morning, Kazumi-san."

Hiruma looked over at her and grinned. She froze. "G-g-good m-morning. Um, I-I'll just be heading up to c-class then. S-s-see you there!?" Without waiting for an answer, she bolted, running with all her might. She shut her eyes tight, swallowing the lump growing in her throat.

_Ugh, why me?!!_

~!~

"You want me to do what?!"

Hiruma glared at her. "I'm not going to repeat myself. Put them on." He shoved the shoulder pads, helmet, jersey, leggings, and cleats into her arms. "Be on the field in five minutes or I'm coming in and dragging you out."

As the door slammed shut, she looked at the pile of gear in her arms and sighed heavily. _There is no way this can end well… but I can't just run away… I won't let him think I'm the type that just talks big! _

She quickly donned the gear, adjusting the straps and placing the helmet on her head.

_I'M NOT THAT KIND OF PERSON!_

Outside, Hiruma, Kurita, and Mamori were all there waiting for her. She walked towards them, slightly nervous. _Eh…? Where'd Sena go…?_

"U-um… can I take the helmet off? It's hard to see…"

"Fine, whatever." Hiruma snatched it from her as she handed it to him. Mamori gasped.

"Kazumi-san?! Hiruma, what on earth-"

"This doesn't concern you!" He grabbed a sack full of footballs and placed them beside her on the field, along with some sort of plastic square. "This is what I you're going to do. I'll set these up at the 30 yard line. You kick all of them through the posts closest to you. For every shot you miss, you run a mile. You run the entire thing after you finish kicking them all. Got it?"

"Y…yeah."

Mamori looked livid. "Hiruma, she's a girl! You can't seriously expect her to-"

"SHUT UP!"

"I won't! This is going to far!"

"M-Mamori-san… that's enough. I'll do it." Kazumi walked to the center of the field, expectantly waiting.

"Ka…Kazumi…san…"

Hiruma set up the first football. "Ok, kick it."

Swallowing, she backed up a couple steps, and started forward.

"NOT LIKE THAT IDIOT!"

"WAH!" She stopped running, tripping and falling over. Hiruma sighed angrily.

"Look!" He yanked her to her feet by the arm. She winced. "Start here. Back up a few steps, then take two to your left, if you're kicking with your right foot. Like this." He showed her.

She nodded, and then repeated his actions.

"Now go!"

"HURAAAAAAH!" Running forward, she swung her leg with all her might towards the ball.

Her foot went up…

And up…

Over her head…

And she fell on her butt.

Looking forward, she saw the ball still sitting in that plastic square. She groaned. _I knew this was a bad idea…_

"What the heck?!" Hiruma marched over. "What kind of a kick was that?!! You were a foot from the ball when you stopped!!!"

She got up, rubbing her backside. "I told you, I don't do football. I've never watched it on TV, I don't know the rules, I've never played before in my life!"

He growled. "Try again."

"But didn't you see-"

"TRY AGAIN!"

"Y-yessir!" Backing up once again like Hiruma had showed her, she ran forward and swung her leg towards the ball.

Her foot caught on the turf, and she fell forward.

"OOF!" The football hit her square in the diaphragm, knocking the wind out of her. She rolled over, coughing and spitting out grass. "Owww…"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU MORON?!!" Hiruma was back again, spitting fire. "This isn't what I saw on the first day of school! Are you stupid or something??!"

She scratched the back of her head. "I was always picked last in gym for rugby. I guess… what you saw was a fluke? Eh heh…"

"THIS IS NOTHING TO LAUGH ABOUT!" He fumed for a couple moments, chewing up the turf with his cleats. After a while, he calmed down. "Fine. Since you can't kick a ball sitting right in front of you, it looks like you'll have to run 13 miles, starting right now."

She sat up quickly. "HUH?! There's no way I can run that far!"

He turned quickly, bending over and pointing his finger in her face. "For every ball you miss, you run a mile. That was the deal. There are 13 balls in that bag, and after seeing your kicking, I would stake my life on the fact that you wouldn't be able to get a single one through those goal posts. START RUNNING!" Suddenly, a machine gun was in his hands, and he was firing at her feet.

"HIEEEE! OK, OK, I'M GOING, I'M GOING!!!" She ran to the outside of the field and started circling it.

_I... I won't run away!_

~!~

"That's 13. You're done." Hiruma said lazily, hitting a button on his stopwatch.

Kazumi collapsed into the grass, gasping for air. Her whole body was on fire. She tried to push herself up, but her elbows shook and gave way, sending her back to the ground.

"You have good running form, I'll give you that much credit. Good time too, you have an average speed of 10 minutes per mile."

Unable to answer, she vomited into the dirt.

"Hey, hey! Don't do that on the field!"

"It's not like she could help it, Hiruma." Mamori was in tears. "How could you?!"

"She did something unforgivable." He stood up. "I'm going home."

"WHAT?!" Mamori marched over to him. "The least you can do after putting her through that is helping her get home! I heard from Kurita that you live really close to her!"

"Fattie's been mouthing off again." His eyes narrowed, looking over at Kurita. He was staring in sympathy at the girl collapsed on the ground. Hiruma gave Kazumi a cursory look. "Eh… I didn't expect her to actually finish all thirteen. She's in better shape than I thought, or she's just stubborn." He looked back at Mamori's furious face. "Whatever, fine, I'll help her get home. Quit whining, it's annoying."

Speechless with fury, Mamori marched over to her things, snatched them up, and came back over. "I'm coming too."

"What?"

"I want to make sure you don't just dump her in front of her house and leave!" She knelt next to Kazumi. "Don't worry, Kazumi-san. I'll explain to your parents what happened, and they'll take care of it."

Kazumi coughed. "They're… not there."

Mamori blinked. "Eh?"

"I… live alone. My parents… live…in Hiroshima." She gagged again, but didn't throw up. "Please… don't tell them... anything..."

"Ok I wont. Don't talk so much. Here, get your arm around my neck." Gently, she helped Kazumi sling her arm over her shoulders. "Hiruma-kun, please get her other arm. She's too tall for me to carry by myself."

"Tch." He slung her other arm around his neck, and stood up. "Let's go."

~!~

"Kazumi-san? Kazumi-san?"

Kazumi opened her eyes, bleary. "Ugh… I feel like I got ran over by a truck. Twice." She shifted in her bed, wincing as she gingerly tried to relax into a more comfortable position without her muscles giving her too much complaint. "Wh…what happened?"

"Hiruma and I carried you home. Since there wasn't anyone else here, I decided to sleep over and see how you were in the morning. I made you some breakfast from what I could find here."

"M…Mamori…san?"

"Yes, it's me. Would you like something to eat?"

"Uh, sure…" She sat up very slowly, assisted by Mamori. "Thanks."

"No problem. Do you need help eating?"

"Nah, I think I'm ok."

"Alright. Well, It's about time for school anyways, so I should get going. I'll drop by again between getting out of class and football practice, kay?"

"Yeah."

"I made you lunch, too. It's in the fridge. Try to get a lot of rest." She waved, and was gone.

Kazumi smiled, and took a long, slow sip of the cup of soup in her hand.

"…This is good."

~!~

Hiruma walked out of the apartment building, shoving his hands in his pockets. Looking across the street to the third floor, he stopped for a minute.

_I was so sure… in fact, this is the first time I've been wrong in recruiting a player. _

Frowning, he started down the street, remembering the incidents that yesterday held, particularly taking her home…

~!~

_"How could you do this to her, Hiruma?!"_

_"Quit lecturing me, manager. It's really starting to piss me off."_

_"Hey… Hiruma?"_

_The two of them looked down at Kazumi, who was hanging in-between them. "What?"_

_"Does …does this mean… we're even?"_

_After a long moment, he smirked. "Yeah, sure."_

_He saw her mouth twist into a genuine smile. "Good."_

_A moment of silence passed before she spoke again._

_"I…I really am…sorry. But…after…saying that… I didn't want… you to think… I was someone… that only talked big... and then ran away."_

_He blinked, taken aback._

_"Please…take care of me…from now on…"_

_Her head slumped forward as she passed out._

~!~

Checking his watch, he sped up his pace to the school.

"Weird girl…"

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Poor Kazumi!! T.T I'm sorry I put you through that!!!

But anyways, I really and truly poured my heart and soul into writing this one. I hope it clears up some confusion, and makes the story a bit better than some thought.

Please review, I want to know how I'm doing!

~Whispers


	4. Job Hunting Can Be Dangerous

**Hey there! Chapter four is up and running! After such a grueling punishment from Hiruma, what will happen to Kazumi as she tries to find her place in the world of Eyeshield 21?**

**Remember to review, and enjoy the chapter!**

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**Chapter 4: Job Hunting Can Be Dangerous**

After resting her body for a day, Kazumi decided to head to school. Moving stiffly and slowly, she made her way through the gates and shuffled towards the building.

_Even though I feel like absolute crap... I'm still in a pretty good mood today. _

Looking to her left, she spotted to figures out on the field, running. _Oh? Someone's here early._ As she made her way closer, she saw Sena sprinting alongside another person.

"Maybe someone from the team?" She raised her hand to her mouth. "Working hard already, Sena-kun?!"

Sena stopped and looked up. Realizing it was her, his face grew concerned and he ran over. The other person, a shorter guy with spiky brown hair, followed, but hung back slightly.

"Kazumi-senpai! I'm so sorry; Mamori told me what happened… are you alright?"

"Eh… I've been better. I'm really sore. But hey, I can walk… sorta. At least I didn't quit 'till I was done. That's what matters, right?"

"I guess…" He looked around, thinking. "Um, can I do something to help you out? Like, carry your bag maybe?"

She laughed, and ruffled his hair. "You really are a sweetheart. Nah, I'm fine. Give me a couple more days and I'll be good as new. Trust me, I heal fast."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah."

The guy in the background shuffled awkwardly. "Hey, Sena… who's your friend?"

Sena turned around. "Ah, sorry Monta. Kazumi-sempai, this is Monta-kun."

"Hey, hey, it's _Raimon Tarou_. None of that 'Monta' stuff." He stuck out his hand. "My pleasure, m'lady."

Kazumi couldn't help but giggle as she shook his hand. _M'lady? Gentlemen must attract more gentlemen! Yet another cute underclassman has taken over the football team. How come Hiruma can't take a couple lessons from these two?_

"The pleasure's all mine, Monta-kun."

"Excuse me, senpai, my name's _Raimon._"

"Let's be good friends from now on, kay? Well, I have to get to class. You two do your best!"

"We will!" they both ran back onto the field and started sprinting again. Kazumi smiled at the two of them.

_Maybe this school isn't so bad after all._

~!~

In the classroom, she had to gingerly coax her legs to bend down so she could sit in her seat. Once she was comfortable, she went through the task of tediously removing her books one at a time onto her desk, before setting her bag down, wincing.

_Geez… muscles I never knew I had hurt, and my feet have blisters on top of their blisters! _

"Oooh? You're back sooner than I thought you'd be."

Looking up, she saw Hiruma plopping down in his chair, looking smugly surprised. She shrugged, and pulled out a pencil, dating her notebook as she prepared for the first subject.

"How's your arm?"

She glanced over at her swollen right forearm, now bandaged. She opened her mouth, and then paused. _Eh… not worth it._

"It's fine."

"Oh? You're learning!" Hiruma grinned and leaned towards her. "But this time, I'm curious. What were you going to say?"

Kazumi looked suspiciously over at him, and then sighed. "If you must know, I was going to say 'Not nearly as bad as my legs,' but I decided against it."

He chuckled under his breath. "Temper, temper. Is that why you've got orange hair?"

Again, she opened her mouth, only to shut it again just as quickly, a frustrated look spreading across her face. "I guess." Opening a book, she began to pretend to read it.

"Am I ever going to get an answer with more than two words in it from now on?"

"…Probably not." She pushed her glasses up her nose, and turned the page.

"Mmmm… That book is upside down."

Her face turned scarlet. "I like to challenge myself."

"That was more than two words."

The book snapped shut, and she glared at him. "Do you find pleasure in making my life a living hell?"

He laughed out loud. "Is that a serious question? Of course!"

She groaned, and put her head in her hands. _See that, fate? That's my cheery mood flying away. And it's all your fault for seating me next to this b-_

"Good morning Kazumi-san!"

Kazumi looked up to see Mamori walking over. "Oh- Hey! You're in this class too?"

She laughed. "Yes I am. How are you feeling today? I was surprised you made it back this soon."

"I'm sore as heck, but I can walk. Besides, I didn't want to miss more than a day of school."

"I'm relieved. Are you doing anything after school? I have to do some shopping before football practice, if you'd like to come with me."

Kazumi looked surprised. "You're… on the team?"

Mamori burst into more laughter. "N-no! I'm the team manager, along with Sena."

"O…oh. Eh heh. Well, I wish I could, but I have to go job hunting after school today. I got fired two days ago for being late."

"That's too bad! What happened?"

"Well I-"

"None of your business, manager." Hiruma glared over at her.

"Hiruma, DON'T call me that; I have a name."

"Oh? Did you just remember that?"

Mamori fumed, speechless. Kazumi put her hands up, slightly unnerved by the icy atmosphere. _He really is annoying, but she's overdoing it a bit, I think._

"Ha ha… o-okay guys, let's not fight… um…"

"I don't know how you put up with him sitting next to you, Kazumi. I can't stand him five feet from me." She turned on her heel and marched back to her seat.

Hiruma just let out a hissing sort of laugh and looked out the window as class began.

~!~

Back at her apartment, Kazumi untied her hair from the braids she had put it in that morning, and brushed out the tangles. Bright oranges waves fell to the middle of her back, and she rubbed a piece between her fingers.

"Mmm, I need a haricut. But I need money first. It's not too bad, so I'll just leave it down."

Taking off her glasses, she walked over to her dresser, put her contacts in, and blinked a couple times, trying to center them on her eyes. "Ok. Now I look like a hard-working high school girl. Time to go get a job!" She pumped her fist into the air, and headed out the door

"Hum, hum, de-dum, must find a job…" Kazumi walked towards the downtown area from her apartment, carrying a newspaper under her arm with all the help-wanted ads that looked promising circled. She was still stiff, but her legs were finally loosening up. _Hopefully if I walk enough, they'll stop being so tense._

Walking along a sidewalk just above the highway, she opened up the paper and looked over the ads she had marked.

"This one looks good, a sports merchandise store. 'Looking for person who is hard working and organized. Jobs include cleaning, stocking shelves, and running the register. Good pay!' And it's right down the street here. I'll just- AH- OH NO!"

The wind had caught the paper and tore in out of her hands, whipping it across the street below her. Just then a huge explosion erupted close by, making her jump.

"Ah, the money!" A voice shouted from below. Startled, she looked down. _That's..!_

"Sena! Monta!" Without thinking she ran to the edge and dumped down onto the street, dodging the stalled cars and sprinting towards them. When she got to the other side of the street, they were both standing beside each other, looking proud of themselves and counting money sticking out of an envelope. Monta was also holding her newspaper.

She stopped in front of them, panting. "I… heard the explosion. Are… are you guys ok?"

They looked at her for a moment, and then Sena jumped back, surprised.

"Ka-Kazumi-senpai?! You look completely different!"

She tucked some hair behind her ear, frazzled and embarrassed. "Ah… w-well, I don't like dressing up for school. But I couldn't go job hunting looking like that, could I?" She shook her head. "B-but that doesn't matter! What happened?!"

Monta shuffled his feet. "Um, well, Hiruma wanted us to go and buy some equipment, when these guys on a motorcycle snatched the money we had. And then-"

They looked at each other, realizing something, and then turned towards another person just in front of them dressed in sweats. They bowed deeply.

"Th-thank you!"

"Thanks!"

As the man turned towards, Kazumi's face lit into surprise. _Who's this guy? ... Uwaa, he's super gorgeous!_

"You guys found a receiver?" He looked at them blankly. Monta and Sena both looked surprised. "Get yourselves ready for the fall tournament. We, Ojou, will be much stronger by then!"

Taking a few steps forward, he looked over his shoulder. "I'll be waiting for you in the finals."

Suddenly, he seemed to notice Kazumi standing there. She blinked a couple times, taken aback by the sudden intensity of his perusal.

"You're not on the team as well, are you?"

"Eh?! Ah, n-no, I just-"

"Mm." He jogged away. Annoyed, Kazumi put her hands on her hips and sighed, watching him. _What, so I'm not important if I don't play football or something? My opinion of him just tanked. Geez!_

She turned back to Sena and Monta, who were both standing there with stars in their eyes and jaws hanging open.

"A-awesome!" Monta exclaimed after a moment.

"Tch. What's so awesome?" Kazumi glanced back over her shoulder. "He looked like some weirdo with a one-track mind about football. Did you see his face? Totally expressionless. He looked like a machine!"

Sena looked up at her. "D…don't you know who that was?!"

"Should I?"

"That was Seijuurou Shin, Ojou's ace football player! That's the team that beat us a few days ago."

Kazumi blinked. "Oh. Well, good for him. But I think Deimon's team is pulling themselves together quite well if he acknowledges you even after loosing to them." She placed her hands on their shoulders. "So don't get too caught up with reputations. You guys are just as awesome." Walking between them, she turned. "Now, you both were going to get some equipment for Hiruma, right? I'm going to the same place to apply for a job. Let's go there together, kay?"

"S-sure!" they both followed her back up to the sidewalk where she had jumped down from earlier.

"I'd like to see that newspaper, Monta, thanks. Now, you two make sure to hold my hands when we go across the street."

"S-stop teasing us, senpai."

"Ha ha!"

~!~

Sena and Monta sat together on the bench in the locker room after another grueling practice.

"Who would have thought Kazumi-senpai would look so different outside of school?"

"Hmph! She still can't compare with Mamori-chan." Monta, crossed his arms defiantly.

Sena put his chin in his palm. "I wonder why she dresses so differently when she goes to school… she seemed pretty embarrassed when we mentioned it…"

"Does there have to be a reason? Let's just focus on beating the Chameleons to a pulp, MAX!"

"Y…yeah."

One row aisle over, Hiruma leaned up against the lockers behind him and grinned ear to ear.

_Now THAT sounds promising. Ya~Ha!_

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Uh oh, watch out Kazumi! Hiruma's on the hunt for blackmail!

But is there a deeper reason behind Kazumi's change in wardrobe outside of school? Keep reading to find out! See you next chapter, and make sure to review, please! :3

~Whispers


	5. Celebrations

**Whew, long chapter! I'm glad I got it all finished. Hope you enjoy!!**

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**Chapter Five: Celebrations**

After Monta and Sena had left the shop with everything they needed, Kazumi stayed behind and interviewed. She walked out of the store and down the street not five minutes later, humming happily to herself.

"I start Monday! Who would have thought I was the only person who applied there? It's a pretty clean place, and the manager is really nice!" She half-skipped across a side street, and headed up the block. "I should celebrate somehow… maybe Mamori would have a party with me?"

Across the street, a "no walking" sign lit up, so she stopped and waited, still humming a nonsense tune. Glancing over at the pole next to her, a flyer caught her eye.

"Oh? What's this?" She tore it off, scanning the brightly colored page quickly. "Hmm…yep. This is the perfect way to earn this month's rent. And Mamori will probably enjoy going too. Yosh!" She stuffed the flyer into her pocket. "Time to get one of my old routines ready!"

~!~

The next day at lunch, she sought out Mamori and asked to sit with her. Mamori had smiled ear to ear and agreed heartily, even telling her other acquaintances who she usually sat with that she was going to specifically sit with Kazumi. They were good friends, Kazumi thought, because they didn't raise any questions or get mad at all, but smiled at them both and let them sit by themselves.

Just as Kazumi was about to bring up the flyer, the PA system went online, playing some obscure song she had never heard before. An announcer's voice came over the speakers.

"Once again its time for lunchtime tunes. The broadcasting club is accepting requests for songs. Students with requests, please place your request form into the box in front of the intercom room-"

A clicking sound was heard. Kazumi looked up at the speaker in the classroom. _That sounded like…_

"YA~HA!!"

…_Yep. Thought so._

Sounds of a struggling and muffled yells were heard in the background as Hiruma made his announcement.

"**EXPLOSIVE BREAKING NEWSFLASH!**THE AMERICAN FOOTBALL TEAM WILL BE HAVING A GAME THIS SATURDAY ON THE FIELD! OUR ENEMY IS THE ZOKUGAKU CHAMELIONS! WE'VE BET FIVE MILLION YEN ON THIS GAME!!!"

"F-five million?!" Kazumi looked over at Mamori, who had her head in her hands.

"D…don't ask…"

"OF COURSE, THE EVIL HERO WHO USES THE KILLER TACKLE, EYESHIELD 21 WILL BE PLAYING AS WELL! **FREE ENTRANCE!** YOU HAVE NO BALLS IF YOU DON'T COME AND WATCH!"

The system clicked off, and moments later, music was playing again. Kazumi looked over at Mamori, who looked completely mortified, and then at the speaker.

"Pff-" She tried to hold it back. She really did.

"Kazumi-san?" Mamori looked over at her.

"Uh-hum, ye-yeah?" It was breaking loose.

"What is it… are you ok?"

_Ah, I can't hold back anymore!!_

"So…so funny-!" She burst into a fit of giggles. Mamori looked a little shocked, but then relaxed and laughed a little herself.

Just then, Hiruma and Kuita both walked into the classroom. Hiruma looked satisfied, while Kurita looked emotionally drained. They both stopped and stared at the two girls laughing their heads off at the desks in the back of the classroom.

"What's so funny, transferee, manager?"

"Hi-Hiruma, DON'T call me that!" Mamori was (unsuccessfully) trying to scold him and sound serious while laughing. Kazumi was giggling too hard to even care what he called her.

"Hehehehehe, te-ten out of ten for pu-pu-publicity stunts! Hahahahaha…"

Everyone else in the class looked even more uncomfortable. Hiruma just grinned at the two girls and plopped down beside them.

"You gonna come watch?" he looked over at Kazumi.

"Ha-hang on…" Kazumi did her absolute best to take deep breaths and calm herself down. "Whooooo… mmm, yeah, I probably will. I have nothing else to do on Saturday. And Mamori and I can hang out afterwards, right?"

"Sure, sounds fun."

"Oh yeah, speaking of that, I almost forgot." Kazumi pulled out the flyer from her bag. "I had a very successful job hunt yesterday. My first interviewer hired me!"

"That's great! Where do you work now?"

"That little sports equipment store that Sena and Monta went to yesterday to buy stuff for the team. It was kind of funny, we happened to meet each other on the way there… but, I wanted to celebrate it tonight. Would you have time after practice today?"

Mamori thought for a moment. "I think so, yeah. Is this where you wanted to go?" She pulled the flyer towards her. "Oh, a dance competition! First and second place get 10,000 yen! Sounds like fun!" **(A/N: that's about 1000 dollars)**

"Yeah… uh, we'll talk about it more on the phone later, kay? Do you think you can meet me at my apartment at around 6-ish?" She glanced over at Hiruma, who looked like he was staring out the window and eating, ignoring them. _Yeah, right._

"Sure, that sounds fine. The competition starts at 9, right?"

"Yeah, you can help me pick out what to wear."

"Uwaah! I'd love to give you a makeover, Kazumi, those glasses and braids just don't suit you-"

"U-um… I, uh, have to use the restroom. I'll be right back, kay?"

"O…ok…" Mamori looked confused as Kazumi hurried out of the classroom.

~!~

After school, Kazumi decided to head by the football field to see how the team was doing to prepare for the game Saturday. _Not that I could really analyze anything, since I hardly know the rules…_ She smiled to herself. _But… somehow, I've grown interested in that bunch, even though I can't play. There are just so many nice people on the team… their captain's a bit odd, but he can be ok when he's not hunting you down for slave labor or something…_

A sudden shout interrupted her thoughts.

"Now that we have a receiver, we don't need Rice-kun anymore!" Hiruma's voice echoed across the field. Kazumi saw that he was holding a gun. There was some sort of board strapped to the goal posts. _I've got kind of a bad feeling…_

"DEATH PENALTY!" Hiruma roared, loading the gun and letting it loose on the piece of plywood.

Kazumi shook her head, sighing, but she still smiled a little. _He is truly insane. But…_

She ran over, waving. "What on earth are you guys doing?" She asked, stopping and putting her hand on her hip.

"HUMPHA!" Kurita dove into the board, smashing it. Kazumi winced, but her smile slowly built into a grin and she chuckled under her breath as she watched. _They seem to be having fun…_

Hiruma grinned evilly at her. "Come kill Rice-kun with us! You too, shrimp, monkey!"

"Do-don't get them involved!" Mamori protested, stepping in front of them all. Kazumi walked around her, looking curiously at the board.

"U-um… do you by any chance have a shotgun instead? I'm more comfortable with that…"

"Yeah. I'll go get it." Hiruma ran off towards the club building, handing Sena and Monta a grenade launcher on the way. Kazumi's eyes went wide. _Where in the heck was he keeping THAT?!_

Hiruma was running back as they set it off, cheering as it exploded. He tossed Kazumi the shotgun, which she caught awkwardly, and aimed at the target.

"Kazumi, you can't be serious!" Mamori stepped in front of the gun.

"Hey, hey, that's dangerous!!!" Kazumi quickly pointed the barrel towards the ground.

"S-so is shooting that thing!"

"Aw, come on Mamori-chan, it's a great stress reliever! Besides, my dad took me hunting with him a couple times, and I want to see if I still have a decent aim with this thing."

Mamori didn't move.

"Please?"

She stared sternly down at Kazumi.

"Pretty please?" Kazumi batted her eyelashes, and pouted.

Mamori sighed. "Alright, fine…" She stepped out of the way as Kazumi kneeled and loaded the gun. Grinning, she aimed at Rice-kun and promptly shot three rounds through his helmet.

"WOOO! HECK YEAH, STILL GOT IT!" Kazumi lifted the gun in the air a jumped around, hollering at the top of her lungs. After celebrating, she handed the gun back to Hiruma, rubbing her shoulder and grinning. "Thanks."

"Your aim was a little shaky."

"Hey, give me some credit; I haven't fired a gun in three years!" She turned to the rest of the team "Well, I'm gonna get going. You guys have fun, and Mamori, loosen up a li- WOA!"

Mamori had picked up a flamethrower and was now pelting poor Rice-kun in fire. Apparently, she hadn't known that's what it was, since the look on her face was pure shock. Kazumi laughed, and high-fived her when she was done.

"Nice one! Have fun putting that out now. I really have to get going, bye!!"

"Uwah!" Mamori waved distractedly back as she raced back to the school to get water.

Kazumi walked to the gate and smiled as she watched them. Hiruma was firing a gun into the air, and everyone else was running around for water. People on the sidelines were cheering and yelling, encouraging the team.

"I hope they do well Saturday. Well, time to go get ready!" She headed down the street.

~!~

"Knock, knock!" Mamori's voice came from outside Kazumi's apartment door at exactly six-o-clock.

Kazumi grinned, and ran towards the door. "Coming!" _That's so like her to be right on time…_

She opened the door. Mamori was carrying a bag in each hand, and she walked in eagerly, looking around.

"This first one has snacks in it, and the other has all my makeup and hair-things. I want to completely do you over!"

Kazumi smiled self-consciously. "Ah, well, there's something I have to tell you first…"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Ha-hang on…" She ran back to her room and came back with two articles of clothing on hangers. "Um, which one do you think would look better on me?"

Mamori looked confused for a moment. "Kazumi, those are both…leotards…" She looked up at Kazumi, realizing. Kazumi blushed bright red.

"U-um… you don't mind if you watch _me_ dance up there tonight, do you? Sorry I'd have to leave you by yourself in the audience…"

"OF COURSE NOT!" Mamori leapt up and hugged her. "I didn't know you danced? Well, I guess I should have known since now that I think about it, you have a perfect body for dancing. Th-this is so exiting!!" She grabbed both leotards out of Kazumi's hands and looked them over. "I really like this muted green one with the black bottoms, it's really earthy, and it'll make your hair and eyes stand out. Oh my gosh, I get to do makeup for a dancer!"

A rapping sound from below made both of them jump.

"KEEP IT DOWN UP THERE!"

"S-sorry Tekano-sama!" Kazumi shouted back. She and Mamori looked at each other and burst into a fit of giggles.

"Let's get started!"

~!~

Mamori stood in front of the stage outside, watching the last of the sun's rays disappear to her left. She smiled to herself, remembering Kazumi's exuberance and nervous excitement over getting to dance again. _I had no idea she had been doing that since she was four years old! Why did she keep it a secret?_

Sighing, she checked her watch. _Come on, time, speed up! I want to see the made-over Kazumi perform! Who knew she could dress up so well?_

"Hey, manager."

"WAH!" Mamori jumped back, practically toppling into Hiruma, who was standing behind her. He caught her arm.

"Well, aren't you excitable. Where's the transferee?"

She pulled free of his hand, blushing. "U-um, she'll be here soon. But why are _you_ here?"

"Curiosity." Hiruma pulled out his notebook and a video camera. "I don't really have much on the new girl yet, so I'm hoping to expand some of my knowledge."

"Oh, Hiruma!" Mamori sighed, exasperated.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO OUR ANNUAL SOLO DANCE COMPETITION FOR AGES 16-21! WE HAVE 25 CONTESTANTS THIS YEAR, BUT ONLY TWO WILL WALK AWAY WITH 100,000 YEN! ARE YOU READY TO SEE WHO WILL RISE TO THE TOP?"

The crowd roared with pleasure. Mamori, still uncomfortable being this close to Hiruma, blushed a little as he glanced over at her. _Thank god it's dark…_

"How come she isn't back yet? It's starting."

"You'll see. Just watch."

~!~

Kazumi's heart started to pound the moment the first contestant went on stage. She was number fourteen out of twenty-five people, and only two would get the money she desperately needed for rent and groceries. _Please, PLEASE let me get at least second place…!_

She saw many talented dancers perform, hip-hop, ballet, break dancing, reggae, and various other types. But no lyrical dancers… _Oh man, this puts even more pressure on me…!_

"NEXT CONTESTANT, NUMBER FOURTEEN, MCBRADFORD KAZUMI, PLEASE TAKE YOUR POSITION ON THE FLOOR!"

Shaking slightly, she walked out onto the stage and leaned up against one of the poles at the side of the stage, getting into position. Her heart was going a million miles an hour.

_Just breathe…_

The music started, the spotlight went on, and she let the beat take over.

~!~

Hiruma wasn't exactly expecting _this_. His finger hit the record button as the music started, and Kazumi began to perform the strangest dance he'd ever seen in his life. It wasn't ballet; it was too stiff. But there were turns and jumps- dang, she was flexible! What kind of a dance _was_ this?

He glanced over at Mamori, who was staring at Kazumi with an expression of rapt awe mixed with happiness. Turning back to the camera, he continued to film Kazumi.

What she was performing was… raw. Raw and real, with a touch of attitude. _So this is the real you, transferee. I wasn't expecting it to be this talented… maybe you're _not _such an idiot… maybe._

Suddenly, Kazumi jumped offstage and began dancing in front of the audience, who was cheering her on. Hiruma watched as she spun closer and closer to them…

~!~

Kazumi's stopped spinning on a beat, and she stared into Hiruma's halfway shocked face.

_Wh…What the heck is HE doing here?!!_

B-but whatever, she didn't have time to think about that right now. Since her bangs had thankfully fallen in front of her eyes, he didn't see her shocked expression. She just continued dancing, letting the beat take over her mind once again.

_I'll just pretend I didn't see him…_

~!~

Hiruma watched as she got back onstage and started up the routine again.

_No reaction? She must have good acting skills._

Suddenly, the crowd began to cheer as Kazumi went into a long spin, lifting her leg in the air. Goosebumps rose up on Hiruma's arms, and he looked down at them, frowning a little.

Her routine ended just as suddenly as it had begun, and Hiruma found himself clapping along with the roaring audience. He looked over again at Mamori, who was cheering her name and waving to her. Something twisted in his chest, but he restrained it. A ghost of a smile flashed across his face.

_Nice job, transferee…_

~!~

To see Kazumi's routine, go here: youtube . com / watch?v=PSb5YF6OTIg&NR=1

~!~

Kazumi walked off stage, breathless and alive. She ran her fingers back through her hair. _I love this feeling. I think I could dance for the rest of my life and never regret it._

"Excuse me, McBradford-san?"

She looked up a an older gentlemen standing a few feet away, holding a clipboard. "Uh, yes, that's me. How can I help you?"

He smiled. "I'm from Aizou Academy, scouting for dancers. After that performance, I think you would be a perfect candidate for the lessons we offer. You're quite talented."

Kazumi's eyes widened. "Th-thank you! You're from Aizou? I've been looking at that school for a while…"

"Why don't you discuss taking lessons at our studio with your parents? I'm sure they'll think about it if they knew a scout was recruiting you."

"Ah… well, that's kind of a complicated situation. You see, my dad would rather have me go to college to pursue a career that would make me better off financially. So, I made a deal with him that I would pay for all my lessons. Um, it may take a while, but I guarantee you'll be seeing me in the future." She smiled up at the man.

"That's great. Hey, if you have any questions, here's my card." He handed her a brightly colored business card. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you in the future, Miss McBradford." He walked away.

Kazumi stood there in shock for a moment, then jumped up in the air. "Yes!"

"Be quiet please! There's a performance going on!"

"S-sorry!"

~!~

"YOU DID IT!!!" Mamori ran over to Kazumi and grabbed her hands. "You won second place! I can't believe how talented you are! Why on earth didn't you tell me you could dance so well?!"

"Ah hah." Kazumi blushed, adjusting her bag containing her leotard and the 100,000 yen check on her shoulder. Now she was dressed in cargo pants, a white t-shirt, and a hat. "Thanks. Well, I just… it's hard to explain…"

"Yo."

Kazumi looked behind Mamori to see Hiruma standing there, hands in his pockets. "Ah… h-hello… um, did you like it?"

"Sure." He held up the video camera. "I got you on tape, anyway."

Kazumi blanched. _I knew he didn't just come here to watch me…_ "Wh… what are you going to do with that?"

"Well… nothing. Yet."

"Hiruma!" Mamori looked shocked. "You wouldn't edit that tape to blackmail her, would you?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't when it suits me."

"Because Kazumi's reputation as a wonderful dancer would be ruined!"

"I said a _good_ reason, manager."

"DON'T call me that!"

"Hey, hey, Mamori… it's ok." Kazumi looked up at Hiruma. "Look… I'm not sure what sort of 'use' I'll be to you, but, depending on the situation, blackmail won't always be necessary."

"Oh?" Hiruma raised both eyebrows in question.

Kazumi shrugged, looking at the ground. "I… happen to like you guys. The whole American football team, I mean. So… I'll help out all of you when I can. However," she looked Hiruma straight in the eye. "If you intend to use me as slave labor to the point where it gets in the way of my dancing, I don't care how much humiliation I go through or how many 'punishments' you invoke, I will fight to keep my own goals alive. You of all people should understand that."

He grinned. "Sure. We'll see how well that works out for you when the time comes."

~!~

Unfortunately, Mamori had to hurry home from there, since she still had some chores to do. She waved goodbye, taking off down the street. Kazumi waved back, and then turned to Hiruma.

"I guess… we should go home? You have that game tomorrow, so wouldn't it be better if you got a lot of sleep?"

He raised an eyebrow. "What are you, my mother or something?"

"Sheesh, it was just a question. No need to put your hackles up." She walked ahead of him, adjusting her bag on her shoulder again. "Are you going back to the apartment or not?"

"Eh, I've got nothing better to do…" He quickly caught up to her, since his legs were much longer than hers. "So what in the heck kind of dance _was _that, anyway?"

She glanced over at him, surprised. _He's striking up conversation? About something OTHER than football?! Call the press!!_ "Lyrical dance. It's… well, it's kind of a blend of everything really. The key is to keep moving, and show as much expression in your dance as possible. The dance should interpret the lyrics or the mood of the song in one way or another." She tucked some hair behind her ear. "Um, but that's not the only type of dancing I do, it just happens to be my favorite. I also like hip-hop, ballet, and break dancing too."

Hiruma looked genuinely surprised, startling Kazumi. "So… you can do all that… but you can't kick a football through a couple posts?"

She blushed scarlet. "Th…those are two completely different things!"

He frowned. "You'd think your coordination would be good enough to at least hit the ball with your foot, even if it wasn't aimed."

"Sh…shut up." She mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Nevermind."

A long moment of silence passed between the two, broken only by the sound of their footsteps. They passed under several streetlamps before Kazumi spoke up again.

"Um… so who are you guys playing tomorrow again?"

Hiruma looked down at her. "The Zokugaku Chameleons. That school is basically a gangster hangout, but they have a decent team."

"Do you think you'll win?"

He grinned, staring up at the sky. "If I force Eyesheild and that monkey to work hard enough, we'll grind them to dust."

Another moment of silence passed.

"Um… if, if you don't mind me asking… why do you play football?"

He looked down at her again. "Why do you dance?"

She met his gaze, peering at him for a long moment, and then smiled. "Ah. Exactly that."

"Exactly what?"

"Mmm, just exactly that." She hummed softly to herself for a moment. "You know, you're not such a horrible person when you're not out gathering slaves. I think I can respect you a little, even though your methods are somewhat… well, you know."

She stopped in front of the entrance to her complex, while Hiruma proceeded to Jay-walk across the street. Kazumi shook her head. _He'll never change…_

"Oy, spiky!"

Hiruma, now on the other side of the street, turned and glared daggers at her. "…_Spiky_?"

"You better kill them tomorrow, or I won't respect you anymore!" She waved and darted up the steps to the third floor, disappearing into her apartment.

Hiruma stared up at the door she went into for a long moment, and then spun towards the entrance to his own complex.

"Spiky… that girl really is an idiot."

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**Woot! Long chapter complete! Hope you liked it!**

**Don't forget to review, please :3**

**~Whispers**


	6. Pregame Happenings

**Doesn't the fact that I'm writing a fanfiction about Eyeshield 21 make the whole disclaimer thing kind of superfluous? I mean, who would write a fanfiction about their own work? That would just be weird...**

**But I still don't own Eyeshield 21.**

**Also, I've placed a link on my homepage to a drawing I've done of Kazumi. Feel free to check it out!**

**Enjoy the chapter, sorry I took so long to update! :D**

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**Chapter 6: Pre-game Happenings**

Kazumi went inside her apartment, panting slightly from running up the stairs, and leaned against the door. She slid to the floor and rested her chin on her arms, the smile quickly fading from her face.

"I said something dumb again… why do I spit out the dumbest stuff in moments like that?" She rubbed her temples, trying to gather her splayed emotions together.

"You play football… for that reason…huh?" Sighing, she pushed her hair out of her eyes.

_I wonder when I'll get to that point again too…_

After a moment or two, she sat up in realization. Pulling out her cell phone, she sent Mamori a frantic text message:

_PLEASE DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT MY DANCING_

It only took a second or two for the reply to be sent back to her. She opened up the phone and pressed a button to open the window.

_WHY NOT? YOU WERE AMAZING! ^-^_

Running her fingers through her hair, Kazumi leaned her head against the door, away from the open phone glowing in the silent darkness of her apartment. She sighed heavily.

_Why am I not over it yet? It's been six months!_

After a few moments, she bent forward again, and sent a reply to Mamori before turning off her phone and shutting it with a snap.

_IT'S… COMPLICATED._

~!~

Kazumi woke up early, showered, dressed, and went outside for a morning run.

_It's a good thing Takeno-sama snores loudly this time of day. She'd have killed me for waking her up at five in the morning!_

She stretched a little on the sidewalk, and started down the street at a slow jog. After about five minutes, she began to feel her muscles protesting. Inwardly, she groaned.

_When did I get so out of shape?! I haven't been running since Hiruma's death march, sure, but this…_

Suddenly, she remembered, and hung her head. _Oh yeah… it was the chocolate icing late at night, and that milkshake, and that cake too, oh, and also that parfait at the café I passed by, and…_ Mad at herself, she started sprinting down the sidewalk. _WHY do I have to have such a weakness for sweet stuff?!! Geez…_

Noticing the street sign ahead of her, she turned left and kept going. _Wasn't there a less-popular park around here someplace? The one where the dance competition was held was just too crowded for me to exercise without getting embarrassed- Ah, here it is!_

It wasn't much; just a large patch of mostly-dead grass with a small, broken down pavilion of some sort in the middle. There was a garage, and what looked like an abandoned school building, beside the area. A concrete path led up to and encircled the little building. Sticking out of the grass on either side of the sidewalk was an older fence, with some of the poles missing or leaning over. Somewhere, a bird chirped in one of the nearby trees. Kazumi smiled, and headed towards the structure.

Laying out, she proceeded to do some complicated stretches, relaxing her tense muscles. Leaning up against one of the poles, she grabbed her knee and brought it to her chest, stretching her lower leg up above her head. It bent subtly, and she frowned. _My flexibility is off too… no wonder I botched that routine in some places. I need to start training again…_

She brought her leg down slowly and took the other one in her hands, careful not to get any splinters from the pole against her back. When that stretch was done, she slid to the floor, and did the splits, leaning forward and holding her foot with one hand as the other kept her balanced by pressing against the ground.

_I don't know if I can keep my courage up after showing them that. I really love dancing, but after…_ Her head snapped up. _No! I promised myself I wouldn't think about that any more! I need to just move on and let myself dance for the fun of it again…_

After stretching out for a few more minutes, she stood up, and raised her arms above her head, yawning. "Ok! Now to practice some balance!"

Slowly, she bent and touched her foot, raising the other leg into a perfect vertical line. Letting out a slow breath, she held the position until her muscles began to tense. _Good, it didn't take much to get the leg muscles nearly back to normal. I need to work harder._

Moving her hands to the floor, she paced them below her shoulders and gently pushed herself into the air, doing a handstand. Her stomach muscles shook a little from the effort and she frowned. _Let's see how far I can go…_

Slowly, she parted her legs into the splits, letting the muscles stretch and relax into their positions. Taking a deep breath, she then slowly shifted her weight to one hand…

And lifted the other off the floor.

After holding that position for a long moment or two, she let herself go back to a sitting position, letting all of her blood flow back to natural places. Her head spun a little, but she grinned giddily.

_I did it! I can still do that position!_

"Fairly impressive."

Her head spun around and she stood up, startled.

Big mistake.

"Ooh… d-don't surprise someone like that after they've been upside down for so long…" She leaned against the entrance to the pavilion, weak in the knees and dizzy. "Stop spinning, world…" Black and grey dots danced in front of her eyes, and she tried to focus.

"Where did you learn that technique?"

"Wha? Oh… I taught myself that. After seeing a lot of yoga poses and stuff, I though it would be a good way to practice balance and give me some strength…" she paused. _Have I heard that voice before?_

She looked up slowly, and her eyes widened a bit.

"O-oh! Hello… um… sorry, I forgot your name. We met a couple days ago, on the bridge…"

He looked blankly at her.

"You know… the motorcycle thing? Sena and Monta were there too?"

His eyebrows furrowed together.

She sighed heavily, trying not to that she was irritated. _I guess he only remembers rivals and talented athletes. Whatever._ "Th-that's ok. Forget it. Um… what are you doing here?"

"Training."

She blinked and then blushed. "Oh. Yeah. Obvious question. Ah… do you run around here often?"

"Every day."

She let go of the pole, still a little weak, and walked over to him. "Sorry, um… what _is_ your name again?"

"Seijuro Shin. Linebacker from the Ojou White Knights. Number 40."

_Did he really have to give me his jersey number?_"O...kay… Nice to meet you, Shin-san. I'm McBradford Kazumi-san."

He nodded. "Would you mind… showing that to me again?"

"Showing wha- oh, the- OH, the handstand! Um, o-ok. Did you want to try doing it?"

He nodded again, grunting. Kazumi turned around and shook her head slightly, amazed. _He is truly articulate. A modern day poet. "Grunt", he says. Beautiful. _

She demonstrated again, this time on the concrete, which was slightly more uncomfortable. She didn't hold the position as long, since she didn't want to almost pass out again. Standing back up, she turned to him. "That's pretty much it- ah-!"

_.__..Holy mother of evil furballs!_

Shin was holding the pose already and doing one-armed push-ups while alternating his legs back and forth. Kazumi stared. _That just can't be human. Really. _

"W…wow. I guess you've got it…"

_I think I just got shown up…__oy…_

After a moment, he lowered himself back to the ground and stood, apparently not feeling the affects of all the blood rushing back to his feet.

"I like it."

"Oh, um, that's…good."

"What do you use it for?"

Kazumi suddenly felt self-concious. "Oh, well, I'm, uh, a, uh, d-dancer, so… yeah." _Who's the articulate one now? Wow._ "It… helps me keep a strong center."

"Mm." He looked back towards the sidewalk, and then up at the sky. Kazumi cocked an eyebrow.

"Do you… have to go now?"

"I'm behind shcedule."

"I see."

They stood there for a moment.

"Are you… coming around here tomorrow?"

He nodded.

"Well then… maybe I could show you a couple other things I do… I guess… since I'll be here too… probably."

"Mm." He walked towards the street, and turned. "You… should probably go home now. That's Zokugaku school behind you. It's a good idea to stay off of their territory on game days."

"Ah… I see. Thanks."

He jogged away. Kazumi stared down on the pavement, and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

_For some reason, I'm exhausted… and I don't know whether to be more surprised about the fact that THAT old building is an operating school, or that Shin can speak in __full sentences… _

She leaned her head to the side, a corner of her mouth turning up.

_Still… he seems nice enough, I guess._

~!~

Later that morning, Kazumi stared up at the large sign hanging in front of the school, one eyebrow raised.

"Oookaaay… so apparently, this Eyeshield person isn't the best guy in the world." She paused, frowning at the sign. "Then again, he plays under Hiruma's rules… so maybe he was _forced_ to get his picture taken while flashing the bird?" She tilted her head to the side. "And I gotta admit, that's some decent photoshopping… is that Zokugaku's captain? Looks creepy."

"Ah… g-good morning, senpai."

She looked to her left and saw Sena and Monta. Sena was waving at her, rather dazed, and Monta was gaping up at the sign. Nervously, she adjusted the hood of her jacket to cover her hair. _I need to buy more hair ties… I lost the only ones I owned yesterday…_

"Oh… good morning Sena-kun!" She walked over. "Uh…Sena-kun?"

The daze now was replaced with a look of pure terror as he stared up at the sign. Kazumi stepped over. "H-hey, Sena-kun… wake up, buddy… helloooo?" She waved her hand in front of his face.

He woke up a little, and bit his lip. "Ah, s-sorry. I was just worried about… about Eyeshield 21. You know, Zokugaku's kind of tough…"

Kazumi's eyebrows scrunched together as she looked over Sena's face. _That Eyeshield guy and Sena must be really good friends…He looks really concerned for him._ She ruffled his hair, and smiled down at him. "Hey, shorty, don't worry so much. I'm sure the team will do just fine. Kay?"

He gave her a halfhearted smile. "O…okay."

"Attaboy. Do your best, manager-kun! I'm going to go and find a good seat, alright?"

"S..sure…"

Kazumi patted his head one more time before turning to head towards the football field. Just as she was about to turn the corner to where the seats were, someone bumped into her, making her stumble.

"Hey, what-"

"Geez, watch where you're going, chick! Moron…"

She spun, glaring. "Who're the morons? _You_ bumped into _me_!"

They paused, and turned around.

"Huh?"

"Huuuh?"

"HUUUH?!"

The three boys leaned into her face, making her bend over backwards to avoid them. Kazumi held up her hands, all confidence draining out of her.

"Um… I'd just like an apology is all… you know…" _Wow, Kazumi, you're really intimidating now…_

"Oh, if that's all…" The one with short blond hair leaned in further. "We're _so_ sorry," he drawled, rolling his eyes. Standing back up, he looked at the other two. "Let's get out of here, the air around her stinks."

Kazumi gaped as they walked away, laughing at her. Biting the inside of her cheek, she turned and huffed away. _Jerks. Who the heck do they think they are?_

Heading over to the field, she soon spotted Mamori waving to her and patting the ground beside her. Smiling, she adjusted the hood on her windbreaker again, and walked over.

"Hi there."

"Hey Kazumi-chan!" Kazumi sat down and Mamori leaned over, speaking more quietly. "So, why is it I can't tell anyone that you're a prodigy of dance?"

Kazumi's face went bright red, and she leaned back. "I-I-I-I-I'm not a prodigy, r-really, I just really like it. And… well, like I said, it's kind of a complicated situation…"

"Do you not want to tell me?"

"I-it's not that, really… I probably will sooner or later. I, um, just think I need a little more time… to think things over… I guess." She looked at Mamori earnestly. "It's not that I don't trust you or anything-"

"Don't worry, don't worry. I get it. Tell me when you're ready. For now, it will be our little secret." She winked at her.

Kazumi smiled, a bead of sweat sliding down the back of her head. _Mamori-chan is so nice… but I think she's forgetting someone else who knows about my dancing…_

Just then, they both looked back towards the building as they heard what sounded like a group of motorcycles pealing into the schoolyard. Kazumi blinked. "What was that…?"

"Ah, that must be Zokugaku's team arriving."

"Eeeh?! On motorcycles?!"

"Yeah, they've had a big reputation as gangsters before their football team's history was even considered any good." Mamori shivered a little. "Their captain is scary…"

Kazumi cocked an eyebrow. "This coming from the girl who works closely with Hiruma-san? What, does he secretly like puppies or something behind my back?"

Mamori turned a little pink. "W-well, no, but at least Hiruma-kun has a _few_ good points, and the Zoku-"

"Hold on, hold on, rewind." Kazumi rested her chin on her arms and looked incredulously over at Mamori. "Hiruma-san has good points? Please inform me of what they are so my sudden heart attack won't be wasted."

"Well… you know… he can show some slight consideration for other people sometimes…"

"Uh _huh_. _Really_." Kazumi looked confused for a moment, but then a corner of her mouth tipped up. "And the fact that he's nearly six feet tall and has _really_ nice arms has nothing to do with your opinion of him, right?"

Mamori's face went deep burgundy. "Wh-wh-wh-wh-what on earth are you saying?! I've barely known Hiruma-kun since I started coming here, and this year is the first time I've even spoken to him!"

Kazumi laughed, holding up her hands. "Woa, woa, I was just teasing you! But, uh…" she leaned in closer and grinned maliciously. "Your reaction is slightly suspicious, ne?"

"Oh-! Honestly, Kazumi-chan! Quit saying nonsense like that!" Mamori huffed and turned away, her face still very red.

"Alright, I'll let it go… Sorry, you're just so fun to tease… " She chuckled a little and leaned back on her hands.

"And…besides, how would I know whether he had nice arms or not?"

Kazumi stared at her for a moment, and then, clapping her hands over her mouth, broke into a fit of poorly-stifled giggles.

~*~

Kazumi watched as the Deimon Devilbats marched out onto the field. She bit her lip, slightly worried. _The only one who seems to have any confidence at all is Hiruma-san… not to mention that half the crowd is booing them-_

"CERBERUS!" Hiruma shouted. Kazumi looked up to where his grin was directed, and saw something raining from the roof of the school…

No. Effing. Way.

"Oh, that's just disgusting!" Mamori turned away from the scene. Kazumi bit her lip again.

"Um… but I guess this sort of counts as an obsession with puppies? Puppies with sadistic tendencies… Hey, I'm trying to lighten the mood here!" She frowned at the look Mamori was giving her. "Give me some credit for _trying_ at least!"

Kazumi heard Mamori sigh heavily and mumble something about bad jokes at the worst times as she saw the team walk over to their bench. Hiruma looked quite pleased with himself. Suddenly, catching sight of her, he walked over and planted his face two inches from hers.

"_Spiky_?"

"I-I solemnly swear it will never cross my lips again." Kazumi said quickly, holding up her hands for the second time that day. _He's still sore about that, I guess… note to self__**:**__ only Hiruma gets to make "pet names" for his "friends"._

"Remember what I could do to you."

"Y…yes. I apologize."

"It's going to be a tough game." Kurita interrupted hastily. That seemed to distract Hiruma for the moment. He backed away and stood upright, grinning.

"I wonder how many would perish? I think we should get some replacements."

Kazumi immediately ducked her head. _Please god, have mercy…_

"I'll go find a few volunteers from the audience~!"

_Please god, I only said one thing, I don't want to be punished again by this lunatic-_

Hiruma dashed right past her, duct tape and rope in hand. Kazumi let out a long, slow breath, and Mamori looked at her curiously.

"You thought you'd be one of the lucky volunteers?"

"I wasn't completely abandoning the idea, yeah."

She chuckled. "I wouldn't worry. After your first attempt at football, I doubt you're in any danger of him recruiting you ever again."

Kazumi's eyebrow twitched. "Even though that's the truth… why do I feel slightly insulted?"

"Just a little payback for earlier."

"Go get the protective gear for three from the office." Hiruma called back to Mamori. She got up, but Kurita hurried after her.

"The gear is heavy, let me get them."

"Oh, okay. Thank you, Kurita-kun." She smiled up at him and walked back over to where Kazumi was. Kazumi was looking after Kurita starry-eyed. "Kazumi-chan?"

"Such a gentleman…" She looked at Mamori with a determined face. "I've just decided! My next boyfriend will be a complete gentleman-type!"

"…Eh?"

"You know, opens doors, buys flowers for no reason, inwardly sensitive and romantic, protective, that kind! Yosh!" She clapped her hands together. "God, please bestow this wonderful man upon me!"

Mamori laughed. "You're rather passionate when it comes to men, aren't you?"

Kazumi blushed a little. "N-not really, I just… I'm not saying I want a boyfriend tomorrow or something, but I… um… I don't know."

Mamori instinctively felt the need to change the subject."Did you really call Hiruma 'Spikey'?"

"Would he have confronted me about it if I hadn't?"

"Ok, that was dumb to ask. But, why did you do it?"

"I dunno… things like that just slip out of my mouth sometimes. I tend to say stupid stuff when I'm nervous."

Now it was Mamori's turn to grin. "So you were nervous?"

"Not for _that _reason! He had just ran me thirteen miles two days beforehand!" She put her forehead in her hand. "There's no way I could ever crush on a sadist like that. He's the exact opposite from my type."

"Opposites attract."

Kazumi gave her a deadpan look. "Yes, because I'm a masochist and go looking to be tortured, blackmailed, and used. That's _SO_ sexy in a guy." She leaned back and feigned swooning. "Oh please Hiruma, run me thirteen more miles!"

"Well, if you really insist, I could."

Kazumi stiffened. She turned beat red. Without opening her eyes or moving from lying on the grass, she opened her mouth and spoke very quietly.

"Mamori, where's the nearest restroom?"

"Inside the double doors, turn right, first door on the left."

"…Thank you." She got up and walked along the field, passing through the overhang and heading towards the school.

_Could this qualify as one of the most embarrassing moments of my life? Yes. The number one most embarrassing? It comes darn close._

She rubbed her temples, taking deep breaths and trying to turn her face back to normal.

_Why did I say something so STUPID?!_


	7. Deimon vs Zokugaku

**Hi again!**

**I didn't take so long this time, I hope. things have been pretty crazy around here.**

**== ALSO: I have a poll up concerning this story on my profile; I'd appreciate it if you all went and voted!!==**

**Enjoy the chapter!! :D**

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**Chapter 7: Deimon vs Zokugaku**

The door to the bathroom shut quietly behind her as Kazumi made her way to the end stall, which was a bit bigger than the others. Shutting the door, she slid down the wall and looked up at the ceiling, letting out a big sigh.

_I just need to calm down… get my emotions in order…_

Why did Mamori have to get on the subject of boyfriends? She didn't want anything to do with stuff like that right now!

But… she'd been the one to bring them up.

_Why do I even care what that jerk thinks of me? Why do I care what any of them think of me?_

_**That's your weakness, Kazumi. You care too much. How do you expect to get any better than second place if you put feelings in front of your goal? It's amateur. **_

She clutched her hair. _I don't want to remember you at a time like this! Get out of my head…_

_**You're second rate to me now. You didn't give me what I wanted. Did you honestly believe that I would stick with someone who got second place?**_

Kazumi swore under her breath. _Go away… I hate you. I'll hate you until I die. I hate what you did to me. Look at me! _

_**You're useless. **_

_Screw you!_

_**You care too much.**_

_I don't care what you think._

_**You'll keep thinking of me, won't you? That's just the type of person you are, looking at things already out of your reach.**_

_No! I'm forgetting you. I'm going to move forward._

_**Your feelings are holding you back. But… I could still make a small exeption for you, if you did exactly what I say—**_

Standing, she walked out to the sink and splashed her face with cold water, trying to get rid of traces that she had been crying, along with the taunting voice from her past.

_I'm not so good at the whole 'guy friend' thing, I know, but I think it's high time I began getting that way. Ok, Kazumi, no more moping. It's time to start over in a new place, at a new school. Start looking for potential friends in the people around you, like Mamori._

Grabbing a paper towel, she wiped off the water on her face and hands.

_I'm going to proove you wrong, Marcus._

Just then, another stall door creaked open. Kazumi turned.

"Oh... Hey, Mio-chan."

The girl looked up at her, startled, and then angry. "Excuse me? You're being too farmiliar, don't you think? Someone like _you_ should call me Yammamoto-san." The petite girl began washing her hands, her nose turned up in the air.

Kazumi stood for a moment, taken aback, then sighed quietly, passed by her, and pulled open the door to exit the bathroom.

_Well... ok, not much headway there. But aside from that, it's time to watch my first football game. What position does everyone play again? Wait... what do those positions DO?_

~*~

"What did I miss?" Kazumi sat down next to Mamori again, smiling nervously.

"Aside from Hiruma snickering at you for about five minutes while you were gone?"

Kazumi gave her a look.

Mamori chuckled, and then shrugged. "Nothing mutch; Kurita just found three volunteers in the club room, so the number of players that we have should be ok. They haven't even kicked off yet."

"Kick...kicked off?"

"Ah, you'll see what I mean once the game starts." She looked over and smiled. Then her eyes shot open in surprise. "Hey... you're not wearing your braids today!"

Kazumi hurredly adjusted her hood. "I... lost my hair ties."

"Well, you shouldn't hide your hair just because it's not up in that unflattering hairstyle! Come on, put the hood down!"

"I...I'd really rather not..." Kazumi was doing her best to avoid Mamori's hands as she tried to pull the hood off the top of her head. "Come on, Mamori-chan, I really-"

"HA!" the hood came down as Mamori grabbed it from the back. Kazumi tried to reach back for it, but Mamori reached out and slapped the back of her hand.

"Ouch! Why-"

"What are you so scared of, Kazumi? It's just hair!"

"I..." She nervously tucked some hair behind her ear. "I don't... like... dressing up for school."

"Hey, hey," Kazumi heard a voice behind her whispering to someone else. "Is that the transfer student?"

"Woa, it is! She looks really cute with her hair down! From the back, that is..."

Someone chuckled. "That's kind of mean."

"I wonder how she'd look without those glasses..."

"You kidding? She's a nerd, nothing special there."

A girl chimed in. "Such pretty hair... why doesn't she put some effort into her appearance?"

Kazumi quietly tucked her hair back into the hood and put it back over her head. She looked at Mamori, who was looking between the group behind them and her, a concerned look on her face. Kazumi swallowed and leaned in forward to whisper.

"I... I guess I'll explain everything to you... after the game ends... ok?"

"...Sure."

Suddenly, Kazumi looked over her shoulder and saw a group of people tied up at the base of the hill. _Were those Hiruma's previous "volunteers"?_

"H-hey, Hiruma? What about those guys?" She blushed again as he looked at her and grinned, but held his gaze until he glanced over his shoulder at the victims she was pointing at.

"Eh... just leave them."

Mamori sighed and muttered under her breath. "I'll go untie them..."

Kazumi cocked an eyebrow and lowered her voice. "What was that you said earlier about consideration for others?"

"... well, that's Hiruma for you. You never really know when he's going to be 'nice' or not." She got up and walked over to the group. Kazumi sighed and looked out onto the feild as both teams huddled up.

_I really don't understand this school at all..._

~*~

"Ok, now you can see the kickoff. Basically, the starting team on defense kicks the ball to the starting team on offence. It's usually high up in the air, as far to the other side of the field as possible, so the offense has to work hard to score a touchdown."

"That's that area at the ends of the feild, right?"

"Yeah."

"And... we're trying to get to the side of the field that our team will be facing?"

"Right! You catch on quick, Kazumi." She smiled at her.

"KILL THEM!!!!" Kazumi heard Hiruma roar, followed by the rest of the team.

"YEAH!!!!"

_Football is definately a macho sport; not exactly what I'm used to. But... it could be fun to watch._

"Everyone's positioning themselves for the kickoff." Mamori said, leaning foreward expectantly.

Suddenly, Kazumi felt her heart rate increase a little. _This feeling... it's like the feeling I get before I go onstage. Is that how everyone on the team is right now? The anticipation, the competition... _She grinned a little. _I love this rush!_

Zokugaku was kicking, it looked like. Her heart beat faster, in anticipation, waiting for the game to begin. She watched as the person who looked to be the team captain ran forward to kick-

"Ah... Mamori, didn't you say that the kicks were supposed to be high in the air and far?" She watched the ball bounce all over the field as Deimon's players tripped over themselves trying to get at it. There was a knot in the pit of her stomach, and she bit her lip. _Come on, guys..._

Mamori smiled. "That was just tactics. They think that we only have Eyeshield 21, who runs with the ball. Just wait..."

Suddenly, Kazumi saw another player Dive foreward from nowhere and catch the ball. "Ah, that's-!"

Mamori turned to her and grinned. "Now we have a receiver, Monta-kun!"

Kazumi grinned, and put her hand to her mouth. "GO MONTA! NICE CATCH!!"

Monta turned towards Eyesheild 21 and called his name, preparing to hand over the football to him by thrusting it at him from his hands...

Kazumi blinked. She cocked her head to the side and blinked again. Her eyebrows came together and she looked more closely.

"D...doesn't that throw defy the laws of physics?" She winced as Hiruma came over and kicked monta in the fae, sending him flying. The whole team looked just as confused as she did.

Monta got up and walked to the side of the field, looking a bit dejected. Kazumi, concerned, raised her hand to her mouth again.

"NICE TRY, MONTA, KEEP IT UP!"

Monta looked at her waving at him, and smiled slightly. Then his eyes widened as he heard Mamori call out:

"THAT WAS A NICE CATCH! DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT; KEEP UP THE GOOD JOB!"

It looked like a fire had been sparked in Monta's eyes again. He got up, jammed his helmet back on, and then proceeded to... roll around on the field? Kazumi started chuckling. _Monta really is crazy..._

"Hey, it looks like he has a thing for you- Mamori?"

"Sorry, I forgot I had to hand these out!" She was at the top of the hill, passing out flyers. "They explain the basic rules of the game; do you want to help?"

"Uh..." She looked back at the team playing. _I'd like to understand the rules of the game a little better myself… _"Sure."

"We'll help!" Came the voices of two guys calling and running towards her. Kazumi stared. _Aren't those two on the team? _More guys were fervently accepting flyers, as she passed them out as quickly as she could, looking a little frantic. Kazumi snickered. _So THAT'S how it is... Mamori, you're an idol._

Mamori turned to the two that had called out, looking a bit stern. "I already have Kazumi-chan helping me. You two need to go sit on the bench, in case you're needed."

They walked back down the hill, looking crestfallen. Kazumi took some papers out of Mamori's hands and began passing them out, glancing at them when she got a chance. Slowly but surely, the basics were starting to make a little sense. She listened to the crowd roar as Monta gained a touchdown, and felt her heart rate pick up again.

_It's a fun spectator sport, at least, and it needs the mind of a chessman along with the brawn and macho approach… I think that maybe, just maybe, I kind of like football._

~*~

The game was intense; each play was over almost in the blink of an eye. Kazumi was on the edge of her seat, taking it all in, trying to sort out her fever-hot blood and adrenaline from the cheers of the crowd and her admiration of all the players and what they were capable of.

Kurita was all stregnth. He plowed through the Zokugaku players like they were nothing! She grinned each time he pushed people aside like little pawns, opening up the path for Eyeshield 21 to run through.

Now that she thought about it, who _was_ that little guy? His legs were made of gold! When he rushed, she could barely see him go by before he was either tackled or scoring more points for Deimon.

Monta was a great surprise as well; he really was an ace receiver. Catch after catch, he was there wherever Hiruma threw the ball.

And Hiruma…

She wasn't too sure about him. He looked like the mastermind behind every play, but he just barely adhered to the rules, pulling tricks out of his head and stoking anger in every heart on the opposite team, making their play sloppy and uncoordinated.

Was this normally how football was played? Were Hiruma's…methods… admirable? Were his tactics just strategy or sadism?

The only thing she could really look at right now were his hands. Those long fingers put the ball in an exact location every time, whether he was passing, faking, handing it off, or running himself. Despite the slight qualms that she had with his personality, she couldn't help but look at those hands at the start of each play, wondering what he had up his sleeve this time.

Right now… she sensed he was the strongest player on the team.

There were others she hadn't met yet; Mamori had pointed out Ishimaru, who normally was on the track team. Yohie and Kenta were two extras that Hiruma had... uh... "recruited" from the basketball team. And the three others on the bench-

"Oh, Hiruma's going to kick?" Mamori interrupted her thoughts. Kazumi leaned forward, curious if Hiruma's feet were as good as his hands.

Uh...

Well… his foot made contact, so she didn't have as much right to say anything, but…

"He's almost as bad as I am! And he made me run 13 fricking miles, too! That JERK!" Her mouth hung open as she watched the ball hit another student in the head, and then her lips pressed together in a line. She glared at him, indignant.

His head turned in their direction at that moment, and she leaned back a little, startled. Sure, he had those weird elf ears… but he was way too far away to have heard her…

Right?

_Cooincidence, pure cooincidence… calm down Kazumi. _

"Zokugaku is changing their defensife formation to compensate for Monta-kun." Mamori pointed out the differences. Kazumi looked closely as the next play began…

"Oh, it's Ishimaru this time!"

"H-huh?!" Mamori looked more closely. "Oh… you're right! Wow, you saw him way before I did."

"Yeah, that was clever, hiding behind Hiruma. I barely saw him myself!"

"Looks like the Zokugaku players are getting frustrated."

It was true; the captain, Rui Habashira, looked pretty ticked off. And that pattern continued as the game progressed further. Sure, the Chameleions held their ground pretty well, but the Devilbats were always just step ahead. And the distance bewteen their points was increasing slowly.

Finally, after a few more plays, Kazumi saw something change in Rui's eyes. _Uh oh… this can't be good…_

Her reasonings were correct as she saw the Zokugaku linemen… injure Deimon's players on purpose?!

Rui himself went after Eyeshield 21, and sent him skidding across the field. Kazumi stood up in shock, trying to make sure the players were okay. Turning to Mamori, she asked frantically, "That can't be legal, can it?!"

"W-well, they have pads and other protective gear, so…"

Kazumi's anger was piqued.

"We'll just have to find three replacements." She could hear Hiruma's voice talking to Kurita about the state of the linemen.

"You haven't got three reserves to fill your ranks?" Rui chuckled. "It must be pretty tough to have a team without enough players. Brute force is a strategy too, you know!"

Kazumi put her hand to her mouth again.

"THE HELL IT'S A STRATEGY! YOU DUMB COWARD! GROW SOME BALLS!"

Mamori looked dumbfounded as she watched Rui look over at the readhead screaming at him.

"What did you just call me?"

Kazumi stepped forward to the sideline. "Do I need to spell it, moron?! COWARD! How is kicking a guy where it hurts strategy?! YOU'RE JUST INSULTING THE INTELLIGENT POPULATION WHEN YOU SAY STUPID CRAP LIKE THAT!"

He marched over to Kazumi, towering over her. "I _dare_ you to say that again."

She glared right back up at him. "Go to hell, pansy." She glanced to the side and smirked. "Oh, by the way, I was just wondering; are your arms compensating for something?"

"AH?!"

"Okay, you two, break it up, or you're both out of here!" The referee was walking over, looking none too happy. Kazumi took a step back.

In that moment, Mamori saw something change in her friend's eyes. She saw her hand slowly go to her mouth.

"I… uh…"

"Fine, whatever. I've got a game to play." Rui joined his team again. Kazumi watched him for a moment, looking a bit dazed, and then looked over at the Devilbats.

It was so quiet. The crowd had gone silent, and was staring at her. The football team looked shocked as well; even Hiruma had both eybrows raised.

Their eyes connected, and she saw the cold analysis taking place behind them. She quickly looked at the ground, and then turned to the referee.

"I'm… sorry."

"Just go sit down, miss."

"Y-yeah, sure."

She turned around slowly, blanching uderneath all the eyes fixed on her. Walking back to her place next to Mamori, she brought her knees to her chest and pressed her eyes into her knees.

Mamori looked at her, shocked and worried. "Kazumi… what was… what did you-"

"Please, Mamori… just drop it for now, okay?" Her voice was flat. "I'll tell you later."

Mamori saw something run down the side of her leg. She bit her lip.

"Um… I'll keep telling you what's going on, ok?"

"Sure."

~*~

Rui looked over at the strange girl who had been yelling at him. Now she was curled into a ball next to Deimon's manager, looking like she was crying.

It didn't make any sense! What would posess her to scream at him like that and then go cry about it? Was she insane or something?

"Boss."

He looked over at one of his linemen. "What?"

"They have three more replacements."

He tore his eyes away from the girl and looked over at the new players walking onto the field. His helmet slipped back into place on his head as he looked back over at the player.

"Crush them."

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**Good and confused yet? :3**

**Questions for the day: Who is Marcus? And what was behind Kazumi's odd behavior?**

**Send me your ideas in a review or PM, I love hearing your thoughts!!**

**See you in Chapter 8!**

**~Whispers**


	8. Some Secrets Revealed

**Hi again!**

**Sorry about the delay, I'll try and be quicker!**

**Also, a whopping FOUR people have voted in the poll on my homepage out of all my readers. If you could cast a vote, that would be great!**

**Enjoy Chapter 8!**

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**Chapter 8: (Some) Secrets Revealed**

_What the heck was that display?_

Hiruma hung a towel around his neck, and leaned against his locker, frowning. That back there… that wasn't the transferee. At least, not the transferee he thought he knew. And considering it was HIM talking, that was saying something.

Pulling out his notebook, he reviewed the notes that he had taken during the past few days.

_**McBradford, Kazumi:**_

_Japanese/Irish_

_Height__: _

_165 cm_

_Hair__: _

_Orange (natural color)_

_Eyes__: _

_Blue_

_Age__:_

_17_

_Family__:_

_---_

_Residence__:_

_Across the street, third floor, second Apt. on the right. Spare key under the welcome mat._

_Other__: _

_ IDIOT, Dancer, reserved personality._

_Material__: _

_Video of performance (easily edited). _

_Fetish for gentlemen-types?_

_(Most likely more to come, considering person's nature and habits.)_

_Still need__: _

_Find out why she changes her appearance outside of school. _

_Family info. _

_Criminal Activity__:_

_Highly Unlikely _

He snapped the book shut. That personality change made no sense! Was her 'shy' act the fake one? Or did she just get WAY too caught up in her first game? _That's doubtful; she doesn't seem like the type to suddenly change her passion from dancing to football._

So what would explain it? He hadn't ever seen that girl act that way before-

…Wait a minute.

_"You think you're the only person in this school who can be scary? Hm?"_

He HAD seen. When he had walked into the classroom after stealing her bag…

He shut his eyes and turned his face down, trying to remember clearly what he had witnessed. She had marched over to him, demanding it back. But right then, she still had looked wary of him. Annoyed and frustrated, but wary… hold on- until he mentioned forcing her to join the team again. What had changed right then?

Growling in frustration, he shoved the notebook into his bag, pulled on a t-shirt, and marched out of the locker room, slamming the door open.

Mamori jumped, startled. "D-don't scare people like that! And be gentler with that door, we don't want to pay money to fix it…"

He glanced over at her, and then stopped by one of the tables to pick up his laptop where it had been charging. No one had opened it, since it was still electronically locked with all five passwords entered and undisturbed. He unlocked it, and then marked Zokugaku as beaten, quickly entering the data he had gained about the team and his own. They had trampled that team into the ground, and he had acquired at least 25 or more new slaves with great resources, influence, and transportation. He smirked. Plenty of time to think about one tiny little pawn in his game later. He had other more significant things to work on, not the least of witch was organizing another team-entrance meeting. There were bound to be more people in this school willing to audition now that they'd seen the Devilbats firsthand. But… he was still mildly curious, so in the meantime…

"You're going back with the transferee, right?"

Mamori stood up from where she had been sweeping. "Why."

He blinked. Mamori was being more serious than usual. He decided to play it off. "What are you so suspicious about? I like to keep track of where people are, in case I need them for something."

Her lips pressed together, and he grinned, knowing what she was thinking. _"In case I need to extort them for something." Right, manager?_

After a moment, he saw her sigh. "She's actually coming back to my place, and spending the night there. I'd appreciate it if you didn't have me at your beck and call tonight."

He chuckled. "We'll see, manger. We'll see."

~*~

Kazumi leaned against the outside of the club building, nervous and depressed. Mamori was looking for answers she hadn't given to anyone for a very, very long time. And Mamori was pretty much the person Hiruma depended on for information about other teams (well, besides himself, of course); who was to say he wouldn't ask her for information on other people?

_I feel like I'm going to be sick. I didn't expect this to happen so fast- well, I didn't expect anything, since I didn't think about the possibility of this situation. I thought I would be able to start over here. Looks like I'm just going to have to get used to remembering the past._

The door to the clubhouse opened. She looked up expectantly for Mamori-

But came face to face with Hiruma instead. Her head ducked down to the ground again, and she clutched her arms around her stomach, feeling more self-conscious than usual. _And I sure as heck didn't expect the existence of this kind of a person. He makes me more nervous than anyone else. _Her fingers slowly tightened their grip on her windbreaker. _I…I don't want him to get any closer than he already is! _

He was just standing there, unmoving. She could feel his cold eyes burning into the top of her head, analyzing, observing, calculating-

"Hi." She interrupted her own frantic thoughts by speaking, still not looking up from her shoes. "Um… c-congratulations on winning. I… had fun… watching you guys play."

_What a stupid thing to say at a time like this._

His voice held no expression when he answered. "I did hear you, you know."

Confused, she looked up a little, trying to avoid his eyes. She could sense the ice-cold mask of apathy freezing over any emotion he could have portrayed and sending out barbs of fear into her. "Um… what?"

"After I kicked."

She blanched. "…Oh."

There was a long pause.

"So." Hiruma took a step towards her, and leaned in closer. "What kind of drugs did you take before the game? Or did someone just shove something up your-"

"Hiruma-san. I-" She began, frustrated and afraid, but didn't know how to finish. "I… just got caught up in the game, and ran my mouth again. I do that when I'm exited or nervous. Calling you… uh, by that nickname was one of those moments."

He didn't say anything. She took a deep breath.

"That's all."

_That's all anyone's ever going to hear from me. ESPECIALLY you. No closer, Hiruma. You're not safe._

Suddenly, the door opened again, and Mamori stepped out. Seeing Kazumi looking uncomfortable under Hiruma's dark perusal, she quickly walked over.

"Excuse us, Hiruma, we have to get going." Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed Kazumi's hand and started walking towards the exit. Kazumi turned her head slightly, seeming like she was going to look back, but then stopped halfway through the action, and let herself be led out of the school gates.

Hiruma's gaze followed the two girls long after they were out of sight. He picked up his bag.

"You obviously don't know me very well, transferee. Saying things like 'I just got caught up in the game' and 'that's all.' only makes me want to know what your dirty little secrets are even more." A grin spread across his face. "Kekeke. You just made _my_ game more fun."

~*~

After picking up some clothes and other things at Kazumi's apartment, Mamori's mother picked them up and drove back to the small ranch on the edge of the city. Kazumi really liked the older woman; she was American and knew the area around Atlanta pretty well, growing up in South Carolina, and acted just like her daughter. Or, rather, Mamori acted just like her mother.

Whichever.

Anyway, dinner was delicious!!! Kazumi's mouth watered at the sight of homemade sushi sitting in front of her on the table. She gobbled down the food, trying to savor it, but longing for the next bite. Mamori and her mother didn't seem to mind; they just smiled and offered her seconds, which she quickly accepted._ They even have appetizers, homemade lemonade and tea, everything!!! _

"Kazumi-chan?"

She looked up at Mamori's smiling face. Her mother must have left to get some desert for them. She thought she had heard Mamori say something about cream puffs earlier... Taking another quick bite and chewing, she smiled back.

"Yeah?" She asked after swallowing.

"Are you feeling better?"

Kazumi paused. Was she? Sure, she was full of absolutely delicious food, warm, and comfortable on the soft cushions around the low table… but she hadn't forgotten what Mamori wanted from her, what she had promised to tell. How _did_ she feel right now?

"… I'm a little better, yeah." After thinking for a moment, she decided it was true. She could trust her with any secret (Hiruma or no Hiruma), and she didn't have to tell her absolutely _everything_ tonight. Mamori would understand. Mamori could be trusted with whatever she threw at her.

Kazumi just hoped that later on, once she _did_ learn everything, that she wouldn't hate her.

"That's good. I thought that Hiruma had said something to make you afraid or uncomfortable. You were so quiet on the way here."

"Ah… was I? My bad, sorry."

"No, no, that's ok. I was just worried about you. He can be exteemly insesnative sometimes."

This caused Kazumi to laugh. "From consideration for others to insensitivity? I can't figure you out, Mamori. Do you think he's a good person or not?"

A corner of Mamori's mouth turned up almost sadly. "Once you've been around him for as long as I have, you'll figure out what I mean. It's sort of a matter of what day of the week it is."

"Huh?"

"Exactly. Don't expect to figure someone like him out immediately. I'm still trying to do that myself."

"Ok… You've sufficiently confused me, so let's just drop this subject for now." She shifted on the cushion, yawning. "Haaaaaah… It's too early to be tired."

"You had a long day. But aside from… everything else that happened… did you like watching the game?"

A grin slowly made its way across Kazumi's face, lighting it up with a shy, half-restrained exuberance. "Yeah, I did. It was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be. Who knew those guys had it in them? You can tell they love playing."

"What was your favorite part about it?"

Kazumi thought for a moment, and her grin widened. "Mmmm… the rush of competition. And winning. It sort of felt like the stage, with a lot more raw energy being thrown around. But then again, football is a bit more macho than the kinds of dancing I normally do."

"I don't think so. I just think the energy you 'throw around' requires a different kind of restraint and technique. And male dancers can be macho too, right?"

Kazumi giggled. "That's true, male dancing is extremely… well, masculine. There's nothing girly about it. But when you put 'macho' and 'dancing' in the same sentence, I start thinking of a way-too-exuberant male dancer trying to play the role of Don Juan. It's just… a little wrong."

"Don Juan?"

"Like a Casanova-type?"

"…huh?"

"Ah, n-never mind. I guess it's just funny to me." Kazumi's ears turned pink.

Just then, Mamori's mother poked her head into the dining room. "Hey, I'm back! They were just about to close, but they let me grab the last fresh batch." She held up a simple white box, and Mamori cheered, getting up quickly and bringing them back to the table.

"You…" she opened the box "have not LIVED… until you try one of these." Pulling out a large cream puff, she took the biggest bite that Kazumi had ever seen, and moaned happily. "Go on, try one!" She said, her mouth still full of cream.

Kazumi laughed. "Well if it gets such rave reviews from you…" She reached over and plucked one from the box. It was still a little warm, and it felt good under her hand. After looking at it for a second, she inhaled the scent of fresh bread, sugar, and warm cream, grinned, and took a bite.

Her eyes went wide.

It…

It was…

"HEAVEN!!" She tipped her head back and savored it for a moment, before diving back for another bite. "You have perfect taste in sweets, Mamori-chan. I'm glad I'm stuffed with sushi; I wouldn't be able to stop eating these until the box was empty!"

Mamori grinned back slyly. "More for me then, is it?" Her hands inched forward across the table.

"Oh no you don't!" Kazumi grabbed another one before Mamori snatched the box away, laughing. "Hey, I want more than two!"

"I thought you said you were full!"

"Not THAT full!"

By now they were chasing each other around the house, laughing nearly too hard to speak, stealing it away from each other… but still, somehow, they managed to eat more cream puffs at the same time, without choking. Finally, Mamori plopped down on the fouton Kazumi was going to sleep on in her room, and held out the rather dilapidadted cardboard box to Kazumi.

"H…here. I give up."

Kazumi plopped next to her, snatched the box away triumphantly, and opened it.

"There's one left."

Mamori tried to hide the look on her face, but Kazumi saw it and chuckled. "Do you want to split it?"

You'd have thought she just won a million dollars. Her face lit up, and she tore the puff in half, handing one part to Kazumi, and happily chewed on her own. "So… you up to it?"

Kazumi swallowed slowly. They had beat around the subject enough. "Um… yeah." Shifting on the fouton, she faced Mamori cross-legged. "I hope you don't mind, but I can't tell you everything just yet-"

"Ah… I sort of thought that's how it would be. You seem like the type of person not to let personal things out easily."

"Oh… um, ok, here... here goes." She took a deep breath, and began.

"Back in Atlanta, I went to a special high school for students centered in the arts. They had individual programs for everything from video production to dancing, which is what I did. I was in the Ballet, Hip-Hop, and Lyrical classes, though I also took Riverdance outside of school."

"Riverdance?"

"Ah, um, that's Irish dancing. You know, it's mostly footwork, kind of like tap? My mom wanted me to stay connected with my Irish roots."

"I've never seen it."

"I'll show you sometime soon. But, anyway, where was I… oh, yeah. I had just turned fifteen, and had been dancing on my toes for two years. That's when my instructors found out I had never had any experience with a partner."

"Is that unusual?"

Kazumi blushed. "Well… yeah, I guess so. But the reason was that… well… um…"

"What?"

"It's so stupid!" She buried her face in her hands.

"Oh come on, tell me!"

Taking another deep breath, she raised her head. "My feet are…big. Bigger than normal, size nine. I was… scared of stepping on my partener's feet." She ducked her head down and turned scarlet when Mamori started chuckling. "I told you it was dumb!"

"N…no, that's… not…" Mamori was trying to hold it in. "It's just… so cute!"

Kazumi let out a muffled sigh. "Can we just move on? It's embarassing…"

"S…sure. So, um, because of… that… you never had a dance partner?"

"Yeah. Everyone was surprised, since they just assumed… well, I was set up with a partner immediately, and given a routine to memorize and perfect by the end of the month."

"Wow, sound's harsh!"

"It was a lot of fun. And… well, that's how I met Marcus."

"Marcus?" Mamori's eyes widened. "Oh, is this a tragic love story about a dancer and her partner?"

Kazumi almost laughed, but cracked a sad smile instead. "No. This is just a story about a dancer and her partner's best friend who was an artitst. My partner's name was Raul, an exchange student from France who barely knew English and forgave me every single time I stepped on his toes."

Mamori would have laughed at that, but she saw Kazumi's face as she said it. "What… happened?"

"Marcus and Raul became good friends sincehe could understand Raul, being half French himself. I met Marcus kind of by accident. He didn't know I knew Raul, and I didn't know he knew Raul. But one day, he sat in on practice and saw us do our routine." A shaky breath passed through her lips. "About a month later, I was staring at a painting of myself with a blue ribbon stuck in the corner. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, but I also thought it grossly exagerated my ability. So I went to the artist to talk about it."

"Still self concious, even back then?"

Kazumi paused. "I… suppose so. I'll never forget walking into the art room after school and seeing him painting." Her face puckered for a moment, but she forced it to relax. "He looked up at me, and… he looked so shocked…" She laughed a little. "And then he grinned and said the most rediculous thing I've ever heard in my life."

"What?"

"He said, 'Well, if I knew you would come looking for a date the day after I displayed that painting, I'd have sat in on dance class a long time ago.'" She shook her head and sighed. "You can imagine how red my face was. After stuttering out a protest and telling him why I was _really_ there… he just asked me what time I wanted him to pick me up that Saturday for dinner."

Mamori didn't know whether to be amused or indignant. "What… did you say?"

"Well, by that time I had gotten over the shock he had given me, so I thought I'd surprise him as payback. So I said 'Pick me up at seven the Saturday _after _next, and we'll go dutch. I don't even _know_ you, Marcus Chadeu.' And I walked away."

"Wait… didn't you tell him where you lived?"

A little smirk played on Kazumi's lips. "I was sure that if he was serious about it, he'd figure it out on his own. And apparently, he was, since he arrived five minutes to eight so he could introduce himself to my dad."

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah. We dated for a year after that." Suddenly, her face fell. "Exactly… one year."

"Why?"

Kazumi sighed heavily. "Well, he was always a bit nervous about Raul and my relationship, for whatever reason. I guess since we were becoming good friends, even though I couldn't really understand him that well. Then one day he just exploded and we got into a pretty big fight. I wasn't doing anything with Raul, but he was paranoid and jealous about how close we seemed to be. Raul and Marcus didn't get along very well after that."

"And after you fought?"

"He… cheated on me. But it was my fault." Tears grew in her eyes, but she tipped her head back and blinked, banishing them from her eyes.

"What?!" Mamori grabbed Kazumi's hands, and turned her head so that she was looking at her. "I don't care what the situation was, but it was NEVER your fault, do you understand?"

Kazumi flashed a weak smile. "Yeah. Thanks."

_But you don't know everything that happened, Mamori. You don't know why it really is my fault. All my fault._

"Now what about today at the game? Why did you yell at Habashira-san like that?"

Kazumi turned away. "I… for now, all I'll say is that I got caught up in the game, and that's it. Maybe later, I can… but…"

"Do you… know Habishira?"

"No, no, that's not it… um…"

Mamori frowned, but finally took her hands away. "Well, I won't ask anymore. Thanks for telling me all this."

"Um… sure."

"Do you… want to go to bed now?"

Kazumi turned to Mamori, and suddenly grinned. "Absolutely not! It's only eleven! What movies do you have?"

Mamori laughed and stood up. "Come on, we'll pick something out together." She held out her hand for Kazumi to take. Kazumi placed it in hers, and stood up, towering over this small girl who was now sharing a small part of her many secrets.

_Thanks, Mamori-chan._

_**She'll hate you later.**_

_You know something? I really don't care right now._

Still holding her hand, they walked out of Mamori's bedroom, and down the hall.

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**Oh, more secrets and twists are revealed! But how much more lies in Kazumi's past? And when will Hiruma's research pay off?**

**Keep reading to find out! See you all in Chapter 9!**

**~Whispers**


	9. Meeting Her, Missing Her

**Hello again!!**

**I hope I was a bit faster with this part, thanks for being patient .''**

**Enjoy!!**

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**Chapter 9: Meeting Her, Missing Her**

Kazumi wasn't used to sunlight filtering in through the window as morning came… too soon. She tried to roll over and fall back asleep, but after a few minutes, she knew that whatever she did, sleep was not coming back to her until later that night. Yawning, she stretched and rubbed one of her eyes, looking over at Mamori with the other.

She was fast asleep, breathing softly, her knees curled up into her chest. Kazumi glanced back at the covers on her futon, thrown everywhere from her crazy sleeping habits, and laughed under her breath self-consciously. _I should go for a little run, and maybe get some coffee. It will help me wake up._

Suddenly, the thought of running made her eyes snap open wide. She slapped her forehead. _What if that guy… what's his name… Shin! What if Shin tries to look for me?! How far am I from the apartment? I said I'd be there today!_

She strained her thoughts, trying to remember. If Mamori's mom had taken that route from her apartment complex… then that park she had gone to yesterday morning for practice would be… twelve blocks from here. Her apartment was around the same distance from the place. She sighed, relieved, and then nervous. _That's Zokugaku School behind that place… but no gangster would be awake at seven in the morning on a Sunday. And, if Shin's awake… _Throwing on a sweatshirt she had brought over the shorts and tank top she had worn to bed, she quickly scribbled a note to Mamori:

_Hey,_

_I'm out running. Be back for breakfast; save some for me! :P_

_Kazumi_

She quietly left the house, and took off down the street, still yawning.

~*~

Habashira sped around the corner, the wheels on his motorcycle letting out a satisfying squeal. Out of the whole gang, only he could turn a corner and sound that good. He headed towards the school, letting out a sigh. There was a garage behind the place where he could lock up his bike for now. After staying out all night after yesterday's loss, he was ready to go back home and sleep for the whole day.

He'd never been so humiliated by a team in his life. Even after using brute force, that Eyesheild 21… just blew right past him like he was nothing.

That bothered him more than anything. He wasn't nothing, and neither was his team. They had beaten any enemy to the ground with sheer brutality up to that point. And then the Deimon team, a bunch of _rookies_… that Hiruma played his emotions and actions like a violin. Hiruma read him, planned around and ahead of whatever strategy his team could think up, and then he used _newbies_ to beat them.

The light ahead of him turned yellow. He increased his speed, and barely missed a lone car that honked its horn in protest. He made a rude hand gesture in return, and headed up the street. Seven blocks to go. He didn't want to get off; didn't want to slow down. He was angry, and nothing helped.

That girl… had she been right after all about him? All last night, the word had rung in his head.

Coward… Coward… COWARD!

He wanted to punch something.

The school rose up in front of him. It was strangely a relief to see it. He put on his brakes, slowing down very gradually. He didn't want to stop riding. He wanted to get away from that stupid girl and her screaming accusations. He wanted the satisfaction of beating someone bloody. For some reason, he wanted to prove that he wasn't a coward to someone, anyone.

He wasn't a coward…

Was he?

The bike came to a halt, still puttering. He turned the key, sighing again as the engine stopped and the eerie morning silence filled his ears. So, now he was a slave to Hiruma. What could he possibly do? Maybe beat up people who didn't cooperate with the demon's demands? He REALLY wanted to punch something.

Grabbing the bike's handlebars, he led it into the alley beside the school that lead to the garage. The gravel crunching under his feat and the tires was the only sound filling his ears-

_THUMP. CRACK._

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me! Ow…" A girl's voice came loud and clear from close by. A voice he thought he recognized. Quickly leaning the bike against the back of the garage, he walked around the building, hands shaking.

If it _was _her… he wasn't sure what he would do.

~*~

Kazumi stared at her knee. The cut wasn't deep, but it was bleeding a lot, and the wood had been old. Thank goodness that was the worst of her injuries. The floor of the pavilion had just collapsed out of nowhere when she had slipped on a well-worn floorboard and fell. Her tailbone and pride were bruised, but she'd live.

Reaching up for something to help herself up with that wasn't splintered, she managed to grab one of the posts and shift her body into a better position. Climbing clumsily out of the shallow hole, she leaned against the railing and sighed. _I should find a bathroom or something to clean this off… I wish I had a handkerchief or something to stop the bleeding for a while. Geez, that stings-_

Something caught her eye, and she looked over towards the garage. A loud gasp echoed off the buildings around her, originating from her lips. _Oh… oh crap, crap, crap, I'm SO dead!_

The guy she had yelled and screamed at like a maniac, the guy she had called a coward, THE GANG LEADER FOR ZOKUGAKU… was walking towards her with an unreadable expression. What should she do?! Run? Scream? She was frozen in place as he came closer… closer…

_**Let me out, I can handle him. **_

_N…no! You know why I can't!_

_**Feh. Have it your own way. But what are you going to do, beg for forgiveness?**_

… _Actually…_

_**Are you freaking serious-**_

"I'm really sorry!" She quickly knelt down, and spread her hands in front of her. "I should not have said those things. Please forgive me!"

~*~

What the hell.

She was on the ground.

What the hell was she doing on the ground?! Her knee was gushing blood! He had seen it running down her leg! Was this girl an idiot? Did she even know the meaning of the word 'infection'?!

What the hell?!

And why was she apologizing? Their team had won! She should be pissing him off with her gloating or something. Why was she on the ground, begging? It wasn't like she had hit him or insulted his mother or something- well, granted, she had told him to grow balls, and that had pissed him off pretty well. But… he didn't like this. It was uncomfortable.

"Just get up. Or do you call people cowards and then wet your own pants for fun?" He was pissed at her attitude. Who groveled on their knees after the things she said yesterday?! Hypocrite… and he had let her taunting get to him, too-!

Slowly, the girl stood back up. She wasn't much shorter than he was, but she seemed small for some reason. Her glasses were askew, and her hair was tangled and wild. He looked her over coldly, and she seemed to shrink more under his stare, tucking some hair behind her ear.

There was a long silence. He was shaking. _I want to hit her until she vomits. But Hiruma…_

"U-um…" the girl spoke again.

"What?!" He demanded, pissed at her frail tone of voice. She flinched.

"C… can I buy you a cup of coffee?"

His jaw almost dropped. Did she seriously just offer to buy him a drink? _This_ girl?

Did she think that would make everything just go away?!

"Why the _hell_… do you want to buy me coffee?"

"Be…because I want to make up for… saying those things yesterday. I wasn't thinking straight, and-"

"You looked pretty clear-headed to me. But maybe you're just a great actress." He gritted his teeth, taken aback by this weird change in character. He wasn't sure how to handle it. Was she acting so she wouldn't get out of a beating?

"Y…yes… um… please let me!" She looked up at him, _pleading_. This girl made absolutely no sense at all. He glared down at her for a moment, and then let out an exasperated sigh. _I can't do anything at all to this person. I lost to that Hiruma. I want to hit her, I want to force her to take it back-!_

He swore violently, and loudly. Her eyes widened, staring as he swore again and again, finally punching one of the posts, spintering it. His hand pulled away from it, bloody. He sucked in a breath through his teeth. The pain numbed his anger, cleared his head. He laughed contemptuously, full of scorn towards her suddenly gentle behavior… and his own lack of self control.

"Well, it beats me cutting you up and then having you snitch to Hiruma about it. Fine, coffee. But we're going to an expensive place, so you better have brought money. I'm not gonna go easy on you." He ran his uninjured hand over his hair. _This is not nearly as satisfying… why'd she have to be from Deimon?!_

"S…sure!" her face lit up like she'd been handed a free ticket to fricking Disneyland, and she reached into her pocket, pulling out her wallet. "I… have enough. Ah, but my knee… and your hand-"

"Clean it up in the school. It's never locked anyway." She was grating on his nerves. He hated girls that stuttered and groveled like she was. What right did she have to call him a coward?!

"Alright. Um… where's the-"

"GAH!" He let out a yell, and she flinched. "Fine! Follow me. I'll show you where the bathroom is." He marched across the grass and right up to the back door leading into the school. Letting out another exasperated cry, he kicked the door in, putting a severe dent in the middle of it. It swung open with a loud bang that echoed around in the empty building. Turning, he glared at the girl, who hung back warily. "Hurry up!"

"Y…yes." The girl hobbled over clumsily, trying not to bend her knee too much. "I'm sorry."

Habashira ran his hand slowly down his face, taking a deep breath and trying to calm the reckless anger that was blurring his vision and making him crazy again. _You gotta remember, she's in Hiruma's crowd. Can't do anything. Just let her buy you the stupid cup of coffee, and let it slide…_

Her footsteps in the grass interrupted his thoughts. He looked down at her, and then walked inside the dark school.

_I just have to stay cool…_

~*~

Kazumi was at a loss. She was trying to be as polite as possible, trying not to get on his nerves, but that seemed to agitate him even more. Biting her lip, she hobbled behind him into the dark hallway, trying to keep up with his unmercifully long, fast steps.

_What should I do? What haven't I tried to calm him down?_

_**Try letting me out fully for a change!**_

_Oh, sure. Like YOU would be helpful in this situation._

_**Hey, I could take him in a fight, which is more than I can say for you.**_

_I don't trust you enough to let you out at all. You FORCE yourself out, regardless of what I say. And fighting is out of the question._

_**Why, because being stronger than him is impossible? Honestly, I give you one lecture, and you wimp out on everything!**_

_Haven't we already established WHY I'm doing this? Why I act this way, why I don't let you out?_

_**Because I saved us from a bad situation that would have sunk you and I in life forever?**_

_BAD FOR WHO?! You ruined EVERYTHING for ME!_

_**Hate to break it to you, AGAIN, but you and I are the same person. **_

_We aren't. I'll prove it._

_**Whatever. You have fun with that. Just remember, you wouldn't have gotten anywhere with the twinkle toes routine if it hadn't been for me. I made you. You'll have to accept that someday.**_

…_Get out of my head. NOW._

"Oy! We're here." Kazumi snapped out of her thoughts to see him pushing open the door to the girl's bathroom. "Clean yourself up. Fast."

"…Alright."

She stepped by him, then jumped when he followed her inside, leaning up against the wall.

"Wh…what are you doing?! This is the girl's bathroom!"

He stared at her in disbelief. "You're not about to strip to your undies just to wash off a bloody knee! Besides, there aren't any teachers around, and I want to make sure my free cup of coffee doesn't try running."

Kazumi blinked. Her mouth twitched, but she forced it down. "Fine."

Unfortunately, he had seen the action.

"You think I'm funny?!" He planted his face just inches from hers. "You think this is a joke?!"

"N-no, I…" She paused, frowned, looked at him, and then started again. "Actually… yes, I found it slightly funny that you'd go to such lengths to protect a cup of coffee. And the remark about stripping down was so bluntly sarcastic, I was surprised and then amused by it."

_**What are you doing?**_

_Trying something different. And didn't I tell you to GO AWAY? I'm busy trying not to be terrified here._

_**Feh.**_

Habashira just stared at her, unmoving. Kazumi grew increasingly on edge. "Um…could you back up a little? It's hard to clean up a bloody knee with you in my face."

"What the hell kind of a girl _are_ you?!"

"…Uh…" She glanced around, trying her best not to feel uncomfortable. "The kind that like personal space… maybe?"

Slowly, he moved away, and Kazumi grabbed some paper towels, soaking them with warm water. Glancing in the mirror, she saw him staring at her, and her face grew warm. Brutal honesty had seemed to cool him off a little, or at least stun him for a moment. He walked over to the sink next to her, and started to run water over his hand.

"Since you're in an honest mood, why did you call me a coward when you don't even know who I am?" The staring eyes narrowed, and his long arm was trmbling where it hung, she guessed from anger. Pausing in her cleaning, she sighed heavily, saddened and guilty. Had it bothered him that much? _This is why I hate letting her out. She always goes too far, and now I have to make excuses for her._

"I didn't know that plays like that were allowed, since I wasn't aware how effective the padding on the uniforms was. Also, that was my first football game, and I was watching friends I had just made seemingly get beaten to a pulp by another team because their captain was a sore looser. I let my anger get the best of me, and went a little crazy."

"A little? You didn't exactly hold back when you were telling me to grow balls."

A corner of her mouth tipped up. "This coming from the leader of a gang? I'm sure you've been told to go do worse things." The little smile faded. "B-but that's still no excuse for saying what I did." Wadding up the wet paper towels, she tossed them into a trash can, and grabbed some dry ones to wipe off the rest of the water. "I know it probably seemed really strange, me apologizing like that after I went completely psycho yesterday. But please believe me, I AM sorry." She looked right at him, swallowing the fear that threatened to eat her alive. After all, how long would he be in a listening mood?

After a moment, he turned off the faucet abruptly and stood up straight, making her jump again. "What's your name?"

"Ah, um… McBradford… Kazumi."

"McBradford, your head is seriously f-"

"I know." She cut into his sentence, avoiding the foul language. "Hiruma-san is already on my case about it." She frowned, recalling his behavior after the game yesterday. _I really have to be more careful with myself. Getting carried away will just make my life more difficult, with that guy around._

Habashira's eyebrows rose. "You have issues with that guy?"

Kazumi laughed. "You have NO idea. And I transferred in just this week, too. But it would be better if we talked about things like this over coffee. It looks like you're even more tired than I am, and neither of us will be thinking straight in a couple hours without some caffeine." She ran her fingers through her hair quickly, trying to get out the worst of the tangles and frizz, as well as calm her nerves.

She could feel his eyes on her again. It unnerved her to be stared at like that. Gathering her courage again, she rose her eyes to meet his.

What she saw was a fuzzy blur.

"Tch! S-stupid glasses…" she quickly turned her head, embarassed, and wiped them off on her sweatshirt.

A small, low sound came from behind her. Thinking she had imagined it, she continued cleaning the lenses.

Then it came again, a little louder. Adjusting the glasses back on her face, she turned. What was that noise…?

~*~

Habishira couldn't stop laughing. He was so confused over her behavior and upset over loosing and pissed off for being called a coward. He was trying to hold back the urge to beat her half to death… and she was just standing there, worrying about crap like how _tired_ he was and whether her _stupid fricking glasses_ were clean or not.

He snickered. How could anyone be like that in this situation?! It was so stupid!

He saw her look over, obviously confused. "Wh… what are you laughing at? Did I do something funny?"

That just made him laugh even harder. She looked a little upset, but more self concious than anything. "R…really, what did I do?!"

"You… are the biggest IDIOT… I have ever met." He chuckled, and her face turned bright red.

"Um… Hiruma… thinks so too." She mumbled the words.

He stopped laughing after a moment or two, catching his breath a little. "Good. At least he has THAT going for him." Walking up to her, he reached out and grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser, never looking away from her. She immediately bit her lip, and backed away slightly. He dried his hand calmly, threw away the messy towels, and looked down at the injury. _Hm… still bleeding. But I don't think I'll need stitches._ He grabbed one more paper towel, pressing it against his knuckles, and then looked back at the girl in front of him.

She was cleaning her glasses again. _Again_.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to buy me a drink?"

Her head snapped up, and she blushed even darker. "U-um, sorry. I'm done." Putting on the glasses again, she smiled nervously. "L…let's go."

One eyebrow on his face rose, and then the other. _Well… I wasn't expecting that._

"We're walking. You better keep up." He walked past her, out of the door and down the hall. Her quick footsteps followed from behind.

"You don't… have your bike?"

He glanced over his shoulder, irked. "What makes you think I'd let you ride my bike, if I did?!"

"Ah… w-well… um. S-sorry."

"Whatever. Just keep up."

"Y-yeah."

He was surprised that she could keep in step with his long strides. He was walking so fast, it was almost a jog. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw her keeping up, but her mouth was pursed, and she was looking at her knee, which looked like it was about to start bleeding again.

_Keh… this girl's nothing but trouble._

He slowed his pace a fraction, and headed out of the school.

"H… Habashira… san?"

He didn't look behind him. "What?"

"Th… thank you for letting me… um… do this."

He gritted his teeth again. "… Are you stupid?! You're _lucky_ you got away with just this!"

"I… know. That's why… um… thanks."

They turned the corner, and started to walk down the sidewalk. He let out another exasperated sigh.

"Whatever, you… you're welcome." Seriously, this girl… he'd never met this kind of idiot before in his life.

"Hm." He heard her from behind, and glanced back.

Her face was all lit up again with that ear to ear smile. Her eyes were closed. He rolled his eyes, and kept walking. If she wanted to walk with her eyes closed, it wasn't his problem. She was just asking to trip over the sidewalk.

"You're dragging your feet. Hurry up."

"Y-yes."

They crossed the street quickly, and headed down the block.

~*~

Shin looked around the small park. The pavillion looked like it had caved in, and was no longer a safe place to practice.

He couldn't tell if she had been there or not. Well, Deimon had won yesterday, maybe she forgot?

Maybe she forgot…

"Hmmm…"

He looked at the sky, frowned, and then took off jogging up the street.

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**Don't forget to vote in the poll on my homepage! Ship your pairings, people! :D**

**See you in Chapter 10!!**

**(How did I get there so fast??)**

**~Whispers**


	10. Coffee Break

**Hey there, I'm SO SORRY about the delay!!! I just got a job for the summer, and adjusting has been a pain in the rear end, no lie. More ES21CU goodness coming right up! Enjoy the chapter :)**

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**Chapter 10: Coffee Break**

Hiruma's eyes snapped open, woken by a muffled sound. He had turned down the volume on his moniters that he used for surveilance last night, but someone was making enough noise to wake him up. And on his actual cameras too; he didn't have as many of those as he did cellphone cameras, but they came in handy when placed in the right locations.

So where had it come from? Rolling out of bed, he walked across the dark room and peered at the monitors. Movement came from the top right, and he shifted his gaze to it.

_Eh…? What is that girl doing?_

Kazumi was… sitting in a hole. She was behind Zokugaku school, in that run-down park. It looked like that pavillion finally had broken down. But what on earth had she been doing to break the floor? And why so early in the morning? Why was she even there?!

_If I had only woken up sooner… I could have gotten better footage of that on tape. But none of my informants tipped me off about her being there so early. Maybe I'll assign someone to her?_

He watched as she gingerly got out of the hole, leaning against one of the rails. Her knee was bleeding. How could she be so clumsy when she was a dancer? Weren't they supposed to be gracefull? It looked like she had no finesse at all.

Suddenly, Kazumi stiffened onscreen. Hiruma raised an eyebrow. _What is she looking at... oh? What's he doing there?_

Habashira didn't look happy. Hiruma saw Kazumi suddenly get down on her knees with her forehead pressed to the ground. More muffled sounds came; she was saying something! He snatched the remote and turned up the volume as Habashira made his way over.

"… Just get up. Or do you call people cowards and then wet your own pants for fun?" Hiruma smirked a little as he heard Habashira's retort. _Not a bad line. But he seems uncomfortable…_

"U-um…"

"What?!"

"C… can I buy you a cup of coffee?"

Hiruma's eyes narrowed. So, she calls the gang leader a coward and goes out of her way to apologise? But he had gone out of _his_ way to force her to apologise for calling him an idiot. Did she think that this punk that lost to Deimon was more intimidating? Did she doubt his own range of influence, what he could find out if he wanted to? Moreover, how could he trust her with the leader of another team? She may have arranged this meeting.

_That's it, I'm definitely assigning someone to her. But who should I send…?_

He brooded over the question while watching Kazumi's tentative interaction with Habashira. His teeth ground together. Why did she look so frightened? He LOST to Deimon yesterday! He couldn't touch her even if he wanted to! And there she was groveling like… like…

Like she should towards him.

"Looks like the transferee hasn't gotten the message quite yet. I think we need to have another talk. And then, I think _that_ person would do just fine for… surveilance ."

~*~

"So, um, where exactly are you taking me?" Kazumi wrung her hands nervously as she tried to keep up with Habashira's long steps.

"It's a couple more blocks down this way. We'll be there soon."

"Okay." She looked up at the back of his head. He seemed to have calmed down a bit since they had started walking. Maybe the exercise was waking him up a little and making him a bit more clear-headed? She just hoped that there really was a coffee shop this way, and not a group of thugs.

_But… they lost to Deimon. So Habashira can't really do anything to people from that school, including me, right?... Unless…!!_

Hiruma… wouldn't have asked this guy to force information out of her, would he?! No… no that couldn't happen. How was Hiruma supposed to know that she had started practicing every morning behind Zokugaku school? His surveilance didn't stretch that far… did it? _Now that I think about it, I don't know a whole lot about that guy. I wonder just how much range he has for getting information. Could he be watching me?_

She ran a hand back through her hair and sighed. Her head was starting to hurt from thinking about that guy.

_**Oh, sorry, was banging my head on your skull wall a bad idea? I was just suddenly overwhelmed by your cowardace and stupidity.**_

Her lips pursed angrily. It was too early for this. _Who asked you for your oppinion?!_

_**Spare me. You're acting like a cornered animal; it's disgusting. What's there to be scared of?**_

Kazumi stuffed her toungue in her cheek and bit down. Hard. _Oh, you're right, what was I thinking fearing the VAST ARRAY OF WEAPONRY?! How cowardly of me! I should just go and leave a lit paper bag with doggie doo doo in it on his porch so I can proove that I can do whatever I want! Maybe I should put a little love note with it telling him it was me; why the heck not?!_

…_**I think you really do need that coffee. It's creeping me out how much like me you're starting to sound.**_

_You THINK? Not exactly a morning person with only four hours of sleep, here. And honestly, it's in my best intrest to be cautious around that guy._

_**I'm such a terrible secret?**_

_You're an imposibility. Or do you want us to end up in a psych ward?_

_**So it's 'us' when we're in a psych ward, but 'you' and 'me' otherwise…**_

… _Just shut up. You're annoying, and I need a coffee buzz today. BAD._

_**I'm just trying to find the logic in your thought process. Oh lord, now I'm starting to sound like YOU.**_

_We're just both screwed up today. Where is logic without caffine?? And- HEY, what's wrong with sounding like-?!_

Kazumi's noze collided with something hard.

"Ouch!"

"Watch where you're going, idiot!" Habashira was rubbing his shoulder, looking annoyed. " I can't believe people as clumsy as you exist."

"Go… gobenashai." Kazumi muttered out an apology while pinching her throbbing nose. "Ib won habben again."

_As long as SOMEONE doesn't distract and irritate me before coffee again during the course of the morning._

_**Feh.**_

"Whatever, save the apologies. They make me even more annoyed. We're here, so let's just get this over with." He pushed open the glass door to the small shop, and plunged inside, receiving startled and wary looks from the other customers. Kazumi gingerly pushed open the door, still rubbing her nose, and made her way to his side at the counter.

"Poor girl. Is she paying?"

"Punks like him just need to go die."

"She looks scared. Wonder if he's her boyfriend?"

"Well, she'd be stupid to get in a relationship with that type."

"You think so?"

Kazumi pursed her lips, and wrung her hands a little. Didn't people know how to whisper in this city? Or keep their thought to themselves? They were all staring, all talking about it, and it was just… Couldn't they just leave them alone?!

_Ah… don't get too mad, that'll just make it easier for her. Calm down…_

"Wh-wh-wh-what would you like, sir?" A young man stared at habashira's appearance with open fear. Not seeming to care, the gangster quickly swept the menu and grinned.

"One double mocha latte with hazlenut flavoring, extra shot, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, aaaand… ah, make it over ice."

Kazumi quickly looked over what he had ordered. _No way… he managed to order the most expensive thing on the menu that quickly?! Geez, that doesn't leave much room for me to have anything…_

"And you, miss?" having sent Habashira's order into the back, the man looked more releived.

"Hmmm… just give me a double espresso please."

The cashier blinked.

"A…are you sure?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"W-well, that's really strong-"

"Just get her the coffee, espresso, whatever she wants! She's paying for it, why are you asking questions, huh?!" Habashira had him by the front of his shirt. Kazumi took a step back.

"H-hey, stop! He was just trying to help…" _Even though it was a little annoying…_

A long moment went by as Habashira's glare met the eyes of the terrified cashier. The café was silent. Slowly, he let him go. "Fine, I don't want the manager called or whatever. People like you just piss me off…." He marched away from the counter and past Kazumi, bumping her shoulder and nearly sending her to the ground. She clutched the counter, stunned for a moment, and then got back up, half hurt, half pissed. And DANG, she needed that espresso.

The cashier gave her a sympathetic look before handing her order back to the kitchen. That just made her feel worse.

What was she doing trying to make friends over one cup of coffee?

After a moment, their drinks were brought to the counter. Kazumi paid, thanked the cashier, and then walked back to the small table by a window where Habashira was sitting. He didn't look up as she pulled out the chair and set the iced coffee in front of him. Suddenly, she had to stifle a giggle from coming out.

_That drink just doesn't suit him… it looks so weird sitting in front of him!_

Maybe this was why she kept finding him interesting. He either was scaring her to death or making her want to crack up laughing. There didn't seem to be any shades of gray between the two.

She popped the top off of her small cup, blew off some of the steam, and then tipped it back. _YESSSS. Come, my precious. PLEASE wake me up._

_**You need help.**_

_This coming from my alter ego? Really?_

_**For the last time, I'm NOT an alter ego or whatever. I'm YOU!**_

_Uh huh. And my uncle's a Frank Sinatra impersonator with horrible taste in 80's fasion. Meaning uncle Mac, not uncle John. Because that would actually apply to uncle John._

_**Fine, don't believe me. But what's-his-face is looking at you again.**_

Correction, Habashira was staring.

"Did you just… CHUG THAT?!"

The caffine was starting to kick in, and Kazumi realized what she had just done. "E…eh? Um… well, I didn't get much sleep last night and, um, I… uh… is that weird?"

"So it's not weird for you to do that?!"

"…Yes?"

"How can it NOT be weird? I knew American's liked coffee, but that's… disgusting."

Kazumi blushed to the roots of her hair. Her ears glowed. "I just… like the bitter taste, is all. I don't do it every morning, since that's not good for you, but every once in a while…" She ducked her head under Habashira's look. "I'm just digging myself a bigger hole here, aren't I…"

Habashira was laughing again. Kazumi's face turned burgundy.

"Wh-what's so funny?!"

"You… a person like you… chugging espresso… " He couldn't finish his sentence.

"Geez… it's not like I ordered a triple…"

He was laughing harder now. The other customers stared. Kazumi bristled.

"O… okay, so I like coffee! What's wrong with that?! People have different tastes. You don't look like you're even going to touch your fancy mocha latte. Did you just order that to make my tab as huge as possible?"

"So what if I did? It wouldn't matter now if I poured it down the sink; you probably spent more than half your allowance on it, which will have to satisfy me one way or another."

She sighed heavily. "Are you going to drink it or not? You got me to pay for the expensive thing, fine. I can get you something you can actually stomach without looking like you're going to commit suicide. I'll drink the crap if you don't want it, even if it's hazlenut… and iced… and… good lord."

He looked at her with an are-you-kidding-me-you're-weird look. "What?"

" I said I'm the coffee addict, so I can stomach that warped drink… probably. I'll just order you a cup of plain black, if that would suit you better. The point is that I'm treating you, right?"

The look never changed."…What?"

"Argh! I'll be right back." Amending the previous statement was in order; Habashira came in three speeds: Scary as heck, funny as heck, or IRRITATING as heck.

Walking back up to the counter, she placed the order. The cashier blinked. Kazumi suddenly felt an urge to explain. "Ah, um, that's for him, not me. Don't worry, you won't have to call poisonn control or anything, ha ha ha… ha… um."

"Sure, I'll send that back right away." He named the price, and Kazumi paid with what was just about the last of her money. After a few moments, the cup was brought to her, and she returned to Habashira's table.

Again, she had to hold back laughter at the expression on his face as he stared at the drink he had ordred. It looked like he was trying toset it on fire with his mind, or challenge it to a fight. "Um… it's not going to walk away from you. Here, have some _real_ coffee." She set the cup in front of him, and then took the alien fancy drink into her hands.

Was it really safe to drink this… flavored stuff? She sniffed it. Well, there was some hint of normal coffee there… maybe it would be okay. She took a tentative sip. It was… sweet. And hazelnut-y. And chocolate-y. And whipped cream-y.

Where was the coffee?!! Sure, it made a decent flavored drink,and it _kind of_ smelled like coffee, but there was no full-flavored kick. No exiting flash of bitter robust flavor. In general, it tasted okay. But it terms of coffee… her beautiful, rich, dark, steaming hot coffee…

"Yeah… this sucks." She set the cup down. "Well, now you have even more satisfaction, Habashira-san. I can't waste something that I paid this much for, even if it's terrible coffee. So I'm going to have to drink it. All of it. And you get to watch."

Habashira peered at her, one eyebrow in the air. "That bad?"

She gave him a withering look. "Did you really have to make it COLD?"

He chuckled. "Not the torture I had in mind at first… but I guess this is good enough. Fine, lemme see you chug THAT. As payment for your words."

Kazumi swallowed. She looked at the drink. She looked back at Habashira. Back at the drink. Back at Habashira. Back at the drink. Back at Habishira, with a pleading look. He didn't back down. She bit her lip.

"I'll chug half."

"You're going to chug that whole thing, or I'll mix up my own drink for you out of what's left in your fridge right now. But I'd leave it outside for a month before even thinking about throwing it in a blender. A rusty blender."

"Did I mention how much I love hazlenut?" She picked up the cup, and tipped it back. _Ugh, but not COLD hazlenut… this is worse chugged. Ew, what's that gritty stuff? Oh, those are coffee beans that leaked in when they put in the extra shot. God help me…_

"PAAAH!" She set the cup down and sucked in some air. "Ugh, I'm going to get a serious stomachache from that."

"You have whipped cream… all over your face." Habashira was grinning in a half sadistic, half amused way. Kazumi looked at him for a moment, and then looked away, grabbing a napkin. That look unnerved her.

_**Reminds you too much of him?**_

_Don't you dare talk to me about that. Don't you dare. And NO, it doesn't. It's the fact that I don't know whether he's being friendly or evil. It's weird._

_**It reminded me of that smile.**_

_Get OUT._

"Um… okay. So, you got your drink, and a bestselling adition of fear factor, coffee edition. I hope you're happy with this, since that's as much apologising as I'm going to do. My psychological limits have been reached." _In more ways than one._

"…What's fear factor?"

"Never mind. It's not important. Um, are you finished?"

"Yeah. You know, for an expensive joint, this stuff isn't much better than what you can get in a can." He said it a bit too loudly. Kazumi saw the people behind to counter bristle a bit.

_**Okay, time to surprise him a little.**_

_Wait, what?! No, no please-_

Her mouth moved on its own. She couldn't control the volume. "Yeah, you're right. That was pretty cheap tasting espresso. We could find the same stuff in a vending machine. Come on, let's get out of here."

"Excuse me, I'd like to ask the two of you to leave. You're upsetting and disturbing the customers."

Kazumi felt like she was shoved back to the front of her concience. She could hear quiet laughter in the back of her head. Her hands went up to cover her mouth again. "I'm… sorry… We'll leave right now." She moved past the manager, past Habashira, out the door, and down the street.

_I hate you. I hate you. I'll hate you until the day I die or until I get rid of you. Whichever comes last. I HATE you._

_**There's the spunk I'm looking for.**_

_Shut up. Just stop talking. You always make my life worse. _

…_**One day, you might not think so. I hope you'll understand why I did what I did. I did it for the person we are.**_

_You did what you wanted for yourself. We are NOT the same person. I'll proove that to everyone, and to you. Don't open your mouth again._

"OY, MCBRADFORD!" a hand spun her around, and Habashira was standing in front of her, looking pissed off to an extreeme she hadnt seen yet. His grip was hard. "What the hell was that?! That guy was acting pretty arrogant after you left, telling people kids shouldn't say things they can't back up with actions when they're confronted about it." His teeth ground together as he looked at her. "I don't get you… Why did you say that crap and then let him walk all over you?!" He shook her, rattling her teeth. "IF I'M A COWARD, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

"Sorry."

"What?! Do you think that-"

"Sorry, Sorry, SORRY, SORRY, SORRY! I'M SO _TIRED _OF APOLOGISING FOR THE CRAP THAT COMES OUT OF MY MOUTH! I'M _SICK_ OF IT!" She swore at the top of her lungs, startling him. She panted for air, her hands clutching her hair. "I'm so sick of this… I don't want to apologise anymore."

"Then DON'T."

She looked up at him, shocked. "What?! How could I-"

"Look. I don't really know what's going on in that screwed up head of yours but…" He ran a hand back through his hair and sighed. "You meant what you said, right? About the coffee being crap, and me being a coward."

Kazumi looked at him, and then at the ground. She thought for a long while. Finally, she looked back up at him. "Unfortunately, yes I did."

"_Unfortunately_? What's so bad about speaking your mind?"

She gave him a deadpan look, and his jaw jutted out in frustration. "Okay, I really shouldn't be asking that. But… I dunno, I mean, isn't it usually better to be honest with people? If you feel like speaking your mind, just do it. And don't apologise for it. Since… that's what you need to say."

Kazumi stared at him. He ran his hand through his hair again, this time a bit… nervous? No, just uncomfortable.

"Or… something… I dunno, I'm just a gangster. But that's what I think, anyway."

"Thank goodness."

He looked over at her. "Huh?"

"You don't hate me. I'm glad." She smiled a little. "I guess that's why I apologise so much. So people won't think badly of me. But what you're saying is, they might think badly of me if I DO apologise, or regardless of what I say… I think. Is that what you meant?"

"H…hey, you know, whatever sounds good to you. I'm not confucious or some person like that." Was that a tinge of pink on his face? She smiled a bit more.

"Thanks, Habashira-kun."

His eyes widened. "Since when am I 'kun'?!"

She shrugged. "We can sort of be friends, can't we? We're even now, so there's nothing stopping us from getting along…"

"You're insane. You always change your mind about everything…" he shoved his hands in his pockets, and looked down at the ground, shaking his head. "Sure. Friends. But we're not best buds or whatever. Being with you isn't exactly helping my reputation, especially after loosing to Hiruma."

"Then you'd best toughen yourself up, ne?" She grinned teasingly at him.

"I don't know why I'm making friends with a girl who has no sex appeal whatsoever."

"_Ouch_, low blow. I think I'm gonna die if I don't seduce someone by walking by at least once a day." She rolled her eyes. "See you around, Habashira-kun. I need some breakfast to take away the taste of that nasty coffee." She turned, and kept heading down the street. He put his hand to his mouth.

"You better stop by a psych ward on the way there, schiz!"

"Whatever!" She did a lazy wave without turning to face him.

Habashira turned in the direction of the school and headed down the block. At the curb, he looked over his shoulder.

She was gone.

"That girl… she better not trip on the sidewalk on the way home. Or walk into traffic. She'd be just the type to do something like that. Is she really going to be okay with Hiruma around?"

He crossed the street at a jog, and started down the block.

"Let's hope that clutz can learn to take care of herself."

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**Yay for friends, right? But are you now a fan of the Habashira/Kazumi PAIRING? Then vote in the poll on my homepage!!! :D**

**A note to anonymous reviewers: Sorry, anonymous reviewing has been disabled. The amount of genuine critique from anonymous people just wasn't outweighing the unnecessary, sarcastic, and otherwise rude comments I was receiving. My apologies to those people who had already submitted good critique, or those who had some in mind.**

**See you in Chapter 11! (Woot, I'm in the teens now!!! My little fanfic is growing up so fast *sniffle*)**

**A/N: I actually really like iced coffee. Lol.**


	11. Plot Twists

**Hello again! Miss me?**

**Ugh, I'm sorry for the wait, but I had to write and rewrite this three times before I was satisfied with it. I hope you like it as much as I do! Enjoy :)**

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**Chapter 11: Plot Twists**

Taking the bowl of soup in her hand, Kazumi took a long, slow sip. The hot broth tasted like fish and miso, and the tofu cubes were soft, melting pleasantly in her mouth. She lowered the bowl, and looked into Mamori's face.

Her friend's expression was quizzical, but guarded; she wanted to ask a question, but didn't know if she should. The problem was, neither did Kazumi. _I don't really want to tell her much more than what I've already said… but I could always tell her to be patient and wait a bit for the answer if I don't want to give it…_

"Something on your mind?" She tilted her head to the side expectantly.

Mamori looked off to the side for a moment, as if trying to decide whether her curiosity or sensitivity to Kazumi's feelings was more important in this situation. After a moment, she looked back up, and her friend knew exactly which side had won.

"Did… did you want to know something else… about me?" Kazumi asked.

"Um… if you don't mind… well… the thing is…"

"Spit it out, Mamori. I'll tell you if it bothers me." She gave a reassuring smile, trying not to look nervous.

"Well, you, um… told me a lot last night, but I'm still not sure why you keep your dancing a secret."

"…I see." Kazumi put her chin in her hand, looking off to the side. "Hm… well…"

"I-if you don't want to tell me it's fine!" Mamori had her hands up, looking apologetic and quite guilty. "It was rude of me to ask you anything else, I mean, you told me so much already, and-"

"Woa, woa!" Kazumi laughed a bit as she interrupted her. "You don't have to apologize. It's legit, since I did tell you not to spill the beans, and then didn't explain why. I… I can tell you a little, since it's you."

Mamori nodded, and waited for her to start.

"Um… Marcus and I… fought about some things; I told you that. It started when Raul and I did a routine that required my face and body to be completely rigid for the whole dance. I was almost a prop, really. I was a bit miffed, since I just wanted to dance. But Marcus didn't understand why I objected to it at all. He said my dancing was too… true to my real emotional state, and that my ability to act needed work. Of course, I didn't understand why he objected to my being a _real_ part of something I loved." A wry smile spread across her face.

"I was _very_ narrow minded back then, just focused on what I loved to do and nothing else. But Marcus always saw a piece of reality where my ambition shoved it away. He thought I was wasting time letting my emotions affect my ability, but I thought I was gaining experience by doing as much as possible, and letting my acting skills develop along the way. The fight was… bigger and more dramatic than it ought to have been."

"Well… my opinion doesn't count now but…" Mamori shifted a bit in her seat, looking a bit hesitant. But her eyes were set. "I think he was wrong."

"Mm? Really…" Kazumi smiled again, somewhat sadly. "Well, you might be a bit biased, based on what I told you last night. But thanks for your support. That fight was only the beginning, though. It got a bit worse from there.

"Raul gave the opposite opinion of my dancing, in front of Marcus. He said… well, to translate mixed French and English, he said that emotion was the biggest part of dancing, and putting on a façade was like lying to an audience unless you are part of the person you are portraying. Marcus lost it. I'm not quite sure what got him so mad, but all of a sudden he was talking about how Raul influenced me too much and that I shouldn't stick to one dancing partner. Then I got mad and… said things I shouldn't have."

_**More like I came to the rescue. Again. He needed to be told off.**_

_You were more a hindrance than a help._

"What did you say?"

Kazumi bit her lip, coming back to reality. "Ah… well… I said his opinion was not grounded on anything but his jealousy of Raul, and I questioned how he could criticize my dancing since he was just a painter who had never studied the art. Also… I told him he was acting like a self-righteous stuck up pig for no reason, and that he needed to go… uh… well… we'll leave it at that."

_**Good riddance.**_

_Profanity was NOT needed in that situation._

_**But it always makes things a little more interesting.**_

… _Is it possible to glare at a voice in your head?_

_**I'm not just some voice; I'm YOU for god's sake! How many times do I have to spell it out for you!**_

_Don't spell it out at all, since it's just a big lie._

…_**Can a "voice in your head" glare back?**_

"Kazumi? Hello?"

Once again, Kazumi shot back to the real world. "Aha, sorry, lost in thought. Um… oh, yeah, I was yelling at Marcus… and then he stormed off. He… uh, cheated on me shortly after that, and we broke up. But our final fight left an impression on me, as well as the discovery that he was cheating, and the fact that it was my fault-"

"It's NOT your fault."

"We'll agree to disagree for now. As I said, you don't know the whole story yet, and it might take me a while to tell you. Anyhow, all of those things combined… well, let's just say that it really hasn't been "me" dancing onstage ever since. I do just enough to get by, and that's it… but that's not the kind of person I want to be all my life. So… I'd like for you not to tell anyone about my dancing until I can get up to the level of confidence I need to present myself with pride."

Mamori looked extremely perplexed. "But… you looked so confidant up there on stage! I was amazed at how calm you seemed up there."

"Ah… is that so…" Kazumi looked away, her eyebrows coming together.

_**Sure you did. Since it was ME putting on your whole routine while YOU just sat back and let the excitement make you giddy.**_

_I'll work harder so that I don't need you anymore._

_**Ah, irony. You hate me, but I'm the one helping you.**_

_How are you- ?! …Forget it. I do owe you something for standing in place of me, but you don't make anything else easy on me. In fact, you make things harder than they have to be!_

…_**That's the only way a person like you learns. I guess you're just an idiot that way.**_

_What on earth is so hard for me to learn that you have to go and ruin my life for it?!_

For once, the voice didn't have a ready answer. She was about to ask again and demand one, when it spoke.

_**Hopefully, you'll figure it out soon. And then you won't whine so much.**_

~*~

It was later on in the evening, and she still couldn't get that last sentence out of her head. Did that… thing… know something she didn't? How could it, she was the one that was "out" most of the time, in her own body…

After leaving Mamori's house, she'd gone on a LONG walk in order to clear her head and think over all that had happened in the last… good lord, had it only been a WEEK since she had transferred into Deimon?! _Hiruma and his groupies sure know how to make life exiting…_

Well, despite all that, she still couldn't get the nagging feeling out of her head that she had forgotten something… did she leave anything at home? Eh, well, she was heading to her apartment anyway, although it would be dark by the time she would get there. Unknowingly, she had wandered farther than she had planned, just listening to the busy traffic of Tokyo and absentmindedly watching the people passing by. She still wasn't quite used to the strange looks people gave her (well, she _was_ Irish, and her hair definitely wasn't a common sight, especially since it was natural), but being an object of relative interest was really never something she enjoyed, unless it was for her technique. She even found herself a bit too conscious lately of her tall, lanky frame, since she was around girls that barely reached her chest (Mamori's head hit the lower par of her shoulder).

Shaking her head, she took a breath and let it out. She shouldn't be dwelling on those kinds of things; it was all in the genetics anyhow.

"M… McBradford-san?"

She looked up, startled, since the voice wasn't one she recognized right away. A man was coming towards her, smiling tentatively, as though unsure that he was talking to the right person. He looked… somewhat familiar…

"AH!" She stopped in her tracks, and her face brightened. "You're the man from the contest! A scout for Aizou, right?"

He had definitely been a dancer himself in his younger years; she could tell by the way he carried himself and the suggestion of a well-muscled body under the suit he wore. His hair was just beginning to go white, and the thin-rimmed glasses he wore on the end of his nose gave her a very strong impression of her own grandfather. The man beamed, obviously relieved. "I was hoping it was you. I hardly recognized you with your braids and glasses. But the hair and relative height… I had a hunch. Did I not properly introduce myself at the competition? My name is Setsura Yukito, but you can call me Yuki-san if you'd like." He bowed a little in greeting, which Kazumi returned amiably. "I was actually hoping I would run into you soon; if I had gotten your phone number, I would have been able to tell you sooner- ah, but you have at least a little time left…"

"Time? Time for what?"

"Aizou is doing something… new this year. They are going to begin preparing for their winter show, but they need just a few more dancers to instruct and train before they can go with any idea that has come to mind. So, they're holding a bit of a… tryout, if you will."

Kazumi's heart leapt and sank at the same time. Dancing onstage with Aizou students, in front of thousands, by Christmas! And possibly in solo competitions before that... it was too good to be true. Way too good. "That's amazing! It's a great opportunity for people who can't find the resources to go through the normal application process… but, I still haven't saved up enough money for tuition, so-"

"That's exactly why I wanted to tell you about this as soon as I could. In order to draw a large number of dancers from all backgrounds, they are offering anyone who passes the tryouts free tuition for a year from the day they start practice!"

Kazumi's jaw dropped. "_How_ many dancers are they looking for? They won't make a cent off of this! Tuition is really expensive there for a reason; are you sure they said free?"

"Positive, and I think you have the talent to pass. There is a catch though-" He smiled gently at Kazumi's obvious negative reaction. "Don't worry, I think you can handle it. You're allowed to perform any type of dance you want, but your performance has to have two parts to it, and they both have set themes which must be represented in both your dances and the music you select."

"What are they?"

"The first is 'Who you are'; essentially, introduce yourself. The second is 'Who you want to be.'"

Kazumi let it all sink in for a few moments. Free tuition! It was like a dream come true… and this Yuki-san said he believed that she had the talent to get in-

No. That other personality, that thing in her head had the talent. That's who he saw onstage and who he had judged. She had been training for the past six months, trying to get her mentality in the right place again, along with regaining some of the skill she had lost, but she hadn't performed once in that time. Instead, she had ridden someone else's talent to get to this point, and she wasn't proud of it. Could she realistically prepare for this? Could she do it?

"Um… how long do I have to practice?"

"Approximately three weeks, I think. A date hasn't been set, but they want it held within the month."

She swallowed hard. That wasn't much time to ready two routines, even with a studio to go to."Yuki-san… I'm not sure… I mean, I don't really have a place to practice…"

He raised an eyebrow. "How did you prepare for the contest in the park?"

"Ah… that was a routine that I had performed before, recently. So, it really didn't take much to get ready for it."

Yukito frowned, rubbing his chin for a moment. Then his face brightened. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Kazumi blinked. "Ah… school… then work. I don't really have anything planned…"

"What school do you attend?"

"Deimon High."

Yukito blanched, and his face went white. Kazumi let out a little sigh. _Apparently, not even Aizou is safe from that guy._ "I work pretty near there, at a sports equipment shop along the highway-"

"Ah, I know where that is. My house is not too far from there as well, and neither is the place I want to show you. Mind you, it's technically only supposed to be open to Aizou students but… I think I can make an exception for you."

"Um… if you're sure it's ok…"

He nodded. "I'll talk with some of the higher-up's about it, but I think it'll be ok. What time do you get off work?"

"Er… eight-thirty, I believe."

"Perfect, I'll meet you there." He glanced at his watch and grimaced. "Sorry to cut this short, but I really have to go. I'm supposed to pick up one of the dancers Aizou has accepted from the airport, and their flight is landing pretty soon. I'll see you tomorrow, then?" He gave her a cheery wave as he walked (well, jogged) down the street.

Kazumi looked at her own watch on her cell phone. "Oh, yikes, I should hurry too. Don't want to be on the streets at night any more than necessary."

~*~

The street was pretty quiet at night, except for the occasional car. She walked under streetlamps which had long since turned on while she had headed home. But at last, after quite a few blocks, she arrived at the building. Trudging up the stairs to the third floor, she headed down the dark hall to her doorway, and got out her key.

The door gently moved open a little as she pushed it into the lock, startling her. Her eyes narrowed. _I was sure I locked the apartment before I left… _She put her keys back in her bag, quietly, and then pushed the door gently open. Thank goodness the hinges weren't squeaky at all.

The room was pitch black, except for the first step into the apartment; that was all the sight that the faint light in the hall allowed. She swallowed the nervous lump growing in her throat, and stepped inside. Shutting the door quietly behind her so her silhouette wouldn't be seen in the doorway, she began to fumble around for the light switch. _Don't worry about it, whoever was here must be gone by now, you would have heard them, and whatever might have been stolen can be replaced… eventually. Ugh, I hope my stereo is still here!_

Suddenly, something touched her shoulder. A HAND.

Too scared to scream, she turned around and swung a fist. It impacted, but then she felt long fingers close around it. Struggling, she tried to attack with the other hand, but that was captured as well. She opened her mouth to cry out, but was suddenly shoved against the wall, the light switch she had been feeling for digging in right next to her spine, making her gasp in pain. She shifted her torso, trying to turn it on so she could see her attacker-

_Click._

"You have pretty good aim in the dark, transferee. Nearly got me in the jaw." Green eyes stared down at her tear-filled ones blankly. Hiruma. "I'm glad you didn't scream, though. That might have made things complicated."

_HE'S TOO CLOSE!_ The alarms in her head all went off simultaneously, and she lunged forward, shoving him away from her. Staring at his face for a moment, she backed against the door and slid down it, her legs splaying out in a sign of exhaustion. Tears escaped her eyes, but she couldn't tell if they were from relief or anger. She wiped them away, pushing her glasses on top of her head, but her eyes kept welling up.

"Would you mind telling me… how the hell you got in here, and why you had every light off in the place? I thought… I thought you were…" Her voice was flat at first, but suddenly too emotional. She shut her eyes and rubbed them with her forearm quickly. _I'm not going to cry in front of this guy! Dang it, get a grip!_

But they just kept coming. Her jaw clenched, and she grimaced, hiding her eyes with her arm as the tears fell silently for a minute or two. She shook with silent sobs, determined, at least, not to make a sound while she unwillingly revealed her fear to the last person she wanted to show it to.

Hiruma didn't say a word. She didn't hear him move. _And he won't do anything, not until I'm done crying like an idiot. If he's not going to apologize for this, then I won't apologize for my reaction._

She took a deep breath, and let it out. Standing slowly, she walked over to a box of tissues and blew her nose.

"I'll be back in a second." Her voice was quiet, reserved. Without looking at him, she walked over to her bathroom and splashed her face with water, getting rid of the stinging salt on her face. She dried her face, and then looked in the mirror. Her eyes were still puffy, but she didn't care that much anyway. Her hair was mussed and sticking out from her braids in all directions. She undid the ties that Mamori had lent her, and ran her fingers through the tangles. Folding up her glasses, she placed them on the counter, and walked back out.

Hiruma was leaning back on the couch her parents had rented for her, looking as calm as ever. Kazumi restrained the urge to assault him with either words or her fingernails, and stood in front of him. He looked up at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Do you want some tea?"

The other eyebrow rose.

"Look, it's just basic hospitality." Before she could stop herself from saying it, the words slipped out. "Something you wouldn't know much about, since I don't take you as the type to have guests over."

A corner of his mouth turned up sardonically, but he still said nothing. She let out a small sigh.

"I'll take that as a yes." She walked into the small kitchen and began filling her kettle. "Are you hungry? How long have you been here?"

"Oh, I helped myself to what you had earlier. Tea is just fine." She could taste the dark humor dripping from his words. She slammed her head into the cabinet door, and swallowed a growl of frustration. But she couldn't shake the feeling that this guy was in a darker mood than usual.

"What are you doing?" He was more curious than concerned about the noise her head had made. She glared in his general direction through the wall.

"Oh, nothing, I just slipped." She replied in a sickly sweet tone, and turned on the burner under the water up to the highest setting. _I wonder if I should risk putting salt in his tea? Or vinegar?_

Cheering herself up slightly by thinking up all the disgusting things she could put in a cup of hot tea without making it look suspicious, she got herself a small snack, and munched on it as the water heated. Really, what was he doing here? And how did he get in? Well, she would never put it past him to know how to pick a lock, but why break in just to wait for the person to get home?

Had he _wanted_ to scare her like that?

Her nails dug into her hands as her fists clenched, but she took another deep breath and relaxed them. He had some reason for being here besides scaring her, since he hadn't left yet. She shouldn't get herself worked up about it until she had heard it from his own mouth what it was. Though she loathed the fact that he would be staring at her with that nonchalant look the whole time.

His eyes. She hadn't really noticed they were green beforehand.

Her brow furrowed and she tossed the thought aside. It wasn't important anyway, just an observation. The kettle began to whistle, and she whisked it over to the teapot, where she added the tea leaves. She set two cups on the tray where the pot sat, and brought it out to the living room, putting it down on the coffee table in front of the couch. She kneeled down across from him, and looked up. His face was blank, but the eyes were analyzing her every move.

"Let the tea steep for a while, I just added it. Unless of course, you like it weak, but I don't take you for that kind of person."

"Hn." The grunt was low, dismissive. He still looked at her coldly, almost… expectantly? She shifted uncomfortably.

"So. You broke in because…?"

"I didn't break in. You have a spare key under the welcome mat. I found it when the manager and I took you home the first time."

_Well, that key is getting moved as soon as he leaves. _"Ok, so you didn't break in. But why did you wait with all the lights off?"

His unabashed, wicked grin was all the answer she needed. A muscle in her cheek twitched. "I see. And the reason you stayed after the show is?"

His face suddenly turned serious, threatening. She leaned back a little as he leaned across the table towards her. "What did you and Habishira discuss on your little coffee date this morning?"

Her eyes went extremely wide for a moment, then she looked off to the side, thoughtfully. "Ah, so you did get wind of that. I guess I can see why it would concern you." She let a small smile form around her lips. "Don't worry, we didn't talk tactics or football at all. If anything, it was him making fun of me for chugging espresso, and possibly the two of us venting about you and your blackmail. That's all."

He stared at her for a long moment. She raised her eyes to meet his, completely calm, and somewhat humored. "I'm telling the truth, Hiruma. I don't lie to people unless it's for a VERY good reason."

Suddenly, she noticed that his eyes were not just green. They were more of a sea green, with a little grey. Was he half Japanese like she was? His hair certainly suggested it, but she didn't know if it was natural or not, and she didn't want to risk asking.

"You… chugged an espresso?" He broke her strange train of thought with the question. A light shade of pink touched her cheeks.

"Um… actually, it was a double."

Hiruma let out a chuckle, lowering his head and letting his shoulders shake along with the brief moment of humor. Kazumi blinked, surprised, unaccustomed to seeing this type of laughter coming from Hiruma. She decided much preferred his strange cackle to this too-honest laugh at the moment. Her cheeks grew even warmer from embarrassment and indignation.

"S-so is that all you wanted to ask me? Or is there something else?"

He leaned back onto the couch again. "I want you to bow to the ground and apologize for coming home so late and making me wait here all day."

As if she didn't hear him, she began pouring the tea into his cup, then into hers. "I refuse. Respectfully."

His eyebrow twitched. "You apologized to that guy when you called him a coward with your face to the ground, but I had to run you thirteen miles to get a decent apology out of you for calling me an idiot. That's a little _lacking_ in respect, I think."

She stood, her face set. "I don't apologize for things I have no control over, or to people who don't deserve it." Turning, she headed back towards the kitchen with the empty tea pot.

"Why don't I deserve it? Because you don't like me?"

She stopped in her tracks for a moment, then walked into the kitchen. Hiruma heard water running as she washed the pot and put it away. Her footsteps carried her back into the living room, but her face looked different. She was looking at him strangely.

Suddenly, she knelt down, and pressed her face to the ground. "I apologize for calling you an idiot. I didn't have sufficient time to do this sincerely since I was… frightened… of the gun in my stomach and too exhausted and angry after being run thirteen miles. I thought that I had apologized sufficiently while you and Mamori were bringing me home, but I guess it wasn't enough. So, I am truly and sincerely sorry." She raised her head and stood. "I won't bow down for this one, but I also apologize for making you wait. Here." She handed him a slip of paper. He opened it and found a phone number. "That's my cell. If you need to talk to me, or if I'm not home the next time you… invite yourself in, just call. I'll get there as soon as I can."

Hiruma was… at a loss. This was a first. Why did he feel like _he_ was the one at fault now? And she still had that look on her face, like she had just managed to keep her dignity despite the humiliating apologies she had just delivered. His mind recoiled at the thought of him being the guilty party, and his eyes narrowed.

"So. I guess we understand each other now." He stood, changing his look from annoyance to nonchalance. "I'll be staying here for tonight, so I'd appreciate some pillows and a blanket or two."

"What?!" Her eyes sparked with fury, loosing all composure. "You are NOT staying here. You live right across the street!"

"I'm too lazy to go home." There went his dismissive tone again. "Oh, and I want breakfast in the morning as well."

"What about your uniform for tomorrow?!" She asked, a desperate tone leaking into her voice.

He just grinned and held up a plastic bag that he had set beside his feet. The look on her face was completely worth it. Her temper made it fun for him to annoy her.

"I'll see what I can do." She said through clenched teeth, and stormed out. He let out a hissing cackle, and flopped back onto the couch.

_No matter what you do, transferee, I get the last word in. You'll learn that in another week or two._

~*~

Hiruma listened to the muffled sounds of the shower as Kazumi prepared for bed. She hadn't said one word to him since she had practically hurled two pillows and a blanket at him and told him that he got to use the shower first. She had shut herself in her room until he was done, and when he passed by the doorway, he thought he heard her crying again.

Not that it mattered to him, he hated the way girls got emotional over stupid things like this. It was why he didn't get involved with them. He couldn't afford any useless distractions while he was shaping his team, hopefully for the Christmas Bowl. She would recover soon anyway, he had observed that she never stayed upset or angry for long.

Suddenly, he heard her softly begin to sing in the shower. Rolling his eyes, he turned over on the couch. Then, his eyebrows scrunched together, and he sat up, listening more intently.

She wasn't singing in English or Japanese, and it wasn't a tune he knew… what language was it? Something from Ireland? He'd have to look into it and begin to study whatever it was, just in case she was fluent and could say things he didn't understand. He hated language barriers.

She hit a higher note quite flat and stopped short, beginning the verse over again. He flopped back onto the pillows, putting his hands behind his head.

A week ago, he thought this girl was just more slave labor. Now he wasn't so sure. He got a weird vibe from her, and hadn't been able to shake the idea that she would be useful for the past few days. But for what? Monkeys could play football better than she could; the only thing she did was dance. And what good was dancing on a football field?

The song finished, and he heard her turn off the water. She hummed the tune a little, but softer than before. Was she trying not to wake him up if he was asleep, or just embarrassed by her voice? He frowned. Girls were too complex. This one in particular.

Rolling over again, he shut his eyes. It would be easier to think about it in the morning.

~*~

Unfortunately, he was woken up before morning by a noise. Kazumi had… screamed? He threw off the covers, and stood up. Looking down at himself, he considered something for a moment, then shrugged. If she had a problem with him being in only his boxers, that was up to her. But someone needed to wake her up and tell her to shut up.

Opening her bedroom door, he looked around for a moment. Not much to see in the dark; maybe he could come back later and explore a bit more. His eyes went to Kazumi, sleeping in her bed. She was tossing frantically, muttering words and phrases that he couldn't make out. Her face was contorted in pure terror, from what he could make out in the dim light. He walked over and shook her.

"Oy, idiot!" He whispered loudly. "Some of us are trying to sleep! Get a grip!"

No response, she just jerked away from him and let out a loud groan. Exasperated and tired, he grabbed both of her shoulders and sat her up, shaking her.

"Dammit transferee, WAKE UP!"

The mumbling stopped. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on him.

The moment he looked at her eyes, he stepped back warily, his own narrowing again. Something was different. Her expressions and movement had changed. He stared as she opened her mouth.

"_Meow._ I had guessed you had abs under there, but you exceeded even _my_ expectations. Kazumi owes me five bucks." She grinned coyly at him, slipping out from underneath the blankets. "I guess you tried to wake her up out of a bad nightmare, eh? For future reference, when you do that, it lets me take over."

…What?

Hiruma stepped back, bumping against the wall, glaring at this… this person. That wasn't Kazumi, whoever it was. "Who the hell are you? Where's the transferee?"

"Oh, how cute." She walked towards him, clasping her hands behind her back and smiling flirtatiously at him. "You're trying to figure me out. I like that in a guy." Startling him, she walked her first two fingers up his chest and tapped his nose, chuckling under her breath. "Don't worry, babe, I don't bite."

He caught her hand, capturing his composure at the same time. "I'm only going to ask you one more time. Who are you?"

"Oooh, scary." She withdrew her hand. "Well, in technical terms, I'm Kazumi. But to avoid confusion, you can call me Kat."

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**...well then. Looks like Kazumi's little voice has a thing for Hiruma. *ahem* I'll keep it PG-13, promise.**

**Sorry to leave you hanging, but I thought it was a good place to stop before I left to go on one last vacation before school. I won't have internet acess for a week or so, so bear with me (you guys are so patient as it is :D).**

**Please please please review guys :3 I love hearing from you. See you in chapter 12!**

**~Whispers**


	12. The NIght, the Dark, the Story

**Wow, I'm FINALLY back! Hey all, thanks for revisiting after my long absence. Be sure to review if you want me to continue :)  
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Chapter 12: The Night, the Dark, the Story

"Kat." Hiruma looked incredulously at the person in front of him. _Same face, same body, same everything… but completely opposite personality. _"How do I know this isn't an act?"

Stepping away from Hiruma, Kat pouted. "You don't believe me?" She fluttered her eyelashes, an action that made Hiruma's skin crawl with disgust.

"No. I wouldn't put an act past you just to get me to leave the house."

"But I don't _want_ you to leave, babe." Kat smiled like a perfect Cheshire cat (har har). "I want you to stay right here. You'll be useful to me."

Hiruma's eyes grew hard. He was starting to get angry. "No one uses me."

"Ooh, scary." Kat's grin widened and she moved in to whisper in his ear. "Not even if I can… oh, fill in the blanks for you about little miss apology on the other end? Her past, I mean."

He grabbed her arm, and pulled her in front of him, extremely suspicious. "You really think you can just lie, Kazumi?"

Kat jerked out of his grip, rolling her eyes. "Ugh, would you STOP calling me that, already? I'm Kat. K-A-T, Kat. Kazumi's better half, if I do say so myself."

Hiruma stared at her for a long moment, thinking hard. There was no way Kazumi would pull something like this. If her story sounded fake, he would know. But in any case, he would have a better idea about how her head worked, even how she lied (if she was lying).

"Ok… fine. I'll buy this for now. But I'm not gonna be used by you, psycho."

"Oh, goodie, a pet name!" Kat giggled. "Come on, let's sit down and get comfy, ne?" She grabbed his hand to lead him someplace, but he jerked it free. Kat turned, and suddenly gave that Cheshire grin again, her eyes icy. She grabbed his hand again, and he gave the smallest reaction at the strength of her grip. No way were Kazumi's hands that strong.

It wasn't that he couldn't have gotten free, but he was surprised enough to just let her lead him back over to the couch. She plopped down next to him, and…

SNUGGLED UP? Hiruma pushed her back, untangling her arms from his torso. He was beginning to get used to every action this new Kazumi person did being opposite of what the normal transferee would do. And he wasn't happy. He stood up and grabbed his stuff.

"Just teasing you! Tee hee!" Came the fake squeak from Kat. Hiruma gave her a rude gesture, and turned to leave.

Kat's voice turned silky, sly. "You know, I was responsible for that little outburst she first gave you. And at the last game, too."

Hiruma stopped, his fist tightening in fury on the bag.

"You wouldn't want to step outside in your boxers anyway, would you? I thought you were too careful for that."

Hiruma grinned his signature grin. "Trust me, a little thing like that wouldn't make me back off."

A sigh came from behind him. "Ok, ok, I'll be all serious and to the point and whatever. But I thought we could benefit from each other; you from information, me for my mission."

Hiruma shut the door to the apartment he had opened, and leaned against it. Suddenly, he remembered Kazumi sobbing against this door only a few hours ago. He looked over at Kat's expression, confident and mischievous. The wheels spun faster in his head.

"Information first."

"Heh. Ok, you're in charge. You only know so much, right? Height, weight, the location of her parents, that sort of thing. I've been there since just before her little accident, so I know _everything_."

"Before? Doesn't schizo behavior happen after an accident?"

"Good point, unless you would get it through your thick head that I am NOT an alternate personality. I AM Kazumi. But only part of her, and not from this time."

"…This sounds more like drugs than anything else right now."

Kat seemed even more irritated. "Do I LOOK like I'm high? Really, now, I wouldn't get her into all of that. No, I am the response to her regret about her past. I am her confidence that she wished she had now, from the future."

Hiruma just snickered.

"Trust me, she doesn't want me here right now. Remember how worked up she got after yelling at you, or what's his face… the lizard guy? She hates me. I push her into situations she doesn't want, I make her say things she knows she wants to say but doesn't have the balls to."

"She wouldn't have the balls anyway."

Kat looked at his amused face, and suddenly snickered as well. "I think you're starting to catch on. Yes, that's what I'm after- You and I sort of torment poor little Kazumi together. Granted, we have totally different reasons, but you still have a style that goes along with my little assignment, and I'd like it to continue."

"So basically, you're going to help me exploit her?"

"Bingo. But I have ulterior motives; does that bother you?"

Now Hiruma was laughing. Kat snickered again with him for a while, but trailed off and looked at him with confusion and irritation as he escalated into a cackle. Finally, he settled down, and grinned at her, eyes bright and malicious.

"Now THIS is interesting. Interesting and against her character enough to convince me." He finally sat down cross legged on the floor. "But I'd also like to know your motives too, psycho."

Kat crossed her legs. "Oh, that's simple. I want her to get to the point where she doesn't need me. Or, well, I guess in reality, I'd just become another part of her personality again, instead of a separate entity. You get the point. But I only have so much time, and she's such a wuss right now it makes me sick. You should have seen her when I first got her into the mess she's in now!" Suddenly, she covered her mouth with her hand in fake surprise. "Oops! Guess that's where I'll start my story then." She grinned. "Want to hear a love story? It doesn't end well."

"Skip the theatrics."

"You're no fun." She pouted again. "But you're damn sexy, so I'll forgive you. Kazumi was in the states before she came here, but you knew that. What you don't know is up until she left, she'd been in a relationship with a guy from her dance school, Marcus."

Hiruma was scribbling in his notebook. "What kind of a guy was he?"

"HAH!" Kat looked at him. "By your standards? A complete tool, in all senses of the word. 'Course, she didn't know that. You should have seen this guy work. Made me wanna gouge my eyes out. You know, he-"

"Specifics on actions. I don't have a whole lot of time."

"You gonna let me tell this story or not?" She looked over at him, eyebrow raised. Hiruma looked at her, icy.

"Are you going to give me what I want or not?"

Kazumi considered that for a while, then conceded. "He was a painter. A wanna-be, in my opinion. Not a ton of appreciation for the art, just did it because he had a little talent and got to take those figure classes. And boy, did he look forward to those." She rolled her eyes. "I kept listening when Kazumi stopped, so I know. He met up with the models later for 'extra practice,' and things. Kazumi actually bought that tripe. And he really gussied her up to keep her happy too. Flowers, cheesy notes, little gifts, he'd even sit in on her practice and draw her on occasion- RARE occasion. Kazumi _crooned_ over those sketches like they were DaVinci or something. He was pressuring her with all of that, you know what I mean. I knew I had to get her out of the situation somehow, and she didn't know I existed yet. So I waited for an opportunity."

Hiruma jotted a couple notes, and looked expectantly at her. Kat looked offended

"That's all you're gonna write from all that info?"

"Do us both a favor and stop interrupting yourself, psycho."

"Well… They got in a fight. It was his fault, really. Despite all of the cheating and stuff, he was actually getting pretty fond of Kazumi. Not that he would stop the other stuff, of course. He was too cool for that. Anyway, his "fondness" came out as possessive, and I mean HYPER possessive. Wouldn't let her go anywhere without telling him, got angry when she had extra practice with her dance partner. You know, he was actually really sweet- her partner, I mean. Marcus and he were friends… of sorts. Raul- oh, that's her old partner's name- didn't like what Marcus did, but he was an idiot too and thought the best thing would be if Kazumi found out on her own. Trouble is, she DID find out… and refused to accept or believe it. You see why I was so frustrated?"

"Because she was an idiot from birth?"

"Who's interrupting now? Anyway, where was I… oh, the fight. Yeah, his possessive side got a little out of hand when he started ragging on her for spending so much extra time with Raul. Of course, she was practicing, but she was also trying to figure out from Raul what _she _was doing wrong to make Marcus so mad all the time. I was finished watching at that point, and in the middle of their fight, I popped out for the first time."

"And that went over… how?"

"Well, I was only out until the end of the fight, so of course she was super confused, running after him, telling him she didn't mean any of what she just said, etcetera, etcetera, you can picture the drama. Then she went home and I sort of introduced myself. And boy, did she hate me. She was terrified too- thought she was going crazy. We sort of got used to each other after a while. But I still wasn't satisfied, since she was still with that idiot. I thought I would settle things once and for all, and at least get her to where I could help her work on her stupid personality without any interference."

"And how did you manage that?"

Kat's expression suddenly dropped. "This may sound low, even for you."

"Try me."

"If you ever get her to tell you anything, she'll say that Marcus cheated on her, but it was her fault. The truth? She's got a fake memory that I planted, and the one 'cheating' is me."

Hiruma looked up from his book, his eyebrows scrunched together. "Run that past me again?"

"It was right after a competition she'd had, with Raul. They won second, and Marcus was actually mad at _her_ for not winning. They fought again, an ugly one, but she still let him take her home, and she fell asleep on the way. That's where the truth stops for her. What really happened is, when she fell asleep, I took over. I told him to stop the car, told him where he could stick the second-place ribbon that I worked hard for, told him I knew about all the cheating and other things I wasn't happy about, and walked back to her place. What Kazumi sees is me seducing her boyfriend and going up to her room."

"And… why would this help you?"

"If she saw me tell him off, she would go back to him and apologize, suck up to him, do whatever it took to get him back. And not even because she liked him, I knew she was so tired of putting up with it all. But he was a constant for her, and she didn't want to give that up. She was desperate. The memory I placed in her gave her enough embarrassment and shame to stay away from him, and his silence and distance only confirmed what I had been trying to tell her all along. But boy, did she hate me after that. She went a little crazy, didn't eat, didn't dance, didn't touch anything that reminded her of him, hated her own body. She even tried to find ways to kill me and keep herself intact. She still blames herself for fighting with him, accepting the ride, and falling asleep."

Hiruma was silent for a long time. "You're right. That is low, even for me."

Kat sighed. "I thought you'd say that."

A long silence ensued, this time, tense and thoughtful.

"Are you really trying to help her?"

Kat looked over, but the only expression she saw on Hiruma's face was a deep perception. His face looked very serious, all of a sudden. Her shoulders sagged, and she leaned over, her elbows on her knees. She buried her head in her hands, and let out a long breath, sounding near tears.

"Yes. I am. You have no idea where I came from. I don't think I want to tell you, either. I pushed her into a confusing state of shame and self-doubt by doing that, I know. But what I pushed her away from is much worse than that. My goal is to teach her how to climb on top of all of that shame and doubt and gain the confidence she needs to where I don't have to push her anymore. She will tackle things willingly, and fight for what she wants. She won't run back to the familiar just to feel safe. She… she needs to be rid of me, and fast, before… b-before…"

"Ok, ok, don't start blubbering. So what you're saying is, she thinks that you and her ex... but really, you didn't?" He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. "That explains a few things, sure. So what do you expect me to do with this info?"

Kat jerked suddenly, and sat up, grinning from ear to ear. "Ah, that's the best part! You're the only other person that knows about me, other than Kazumi. If she knows you know, she will do anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to keep your mouth shut. You officially have the leverage you need, babe."

"Now, why didn't I think of that?" Hiruma grinned. "And the fake memory?"

Kat's face fell a bit. "Ah… Don't tell her. Please. I want to be the one to do that. She wouldn't believe you anyway- well, she might, but… I think that should be my duty. I started the mess, I have to clean it up. Until then, just keep doing what you're doing. Whether you like it or not, you're pushing her to gain confidence in herself too. I see you coaching your players. I know what your goal is. And I think Kazumi could benefit from being in the same place."

"Well, whatever. I can't think of a way to use that anyhow, for the present." He snapped the notebook shut.

"Nice avoidance of my compliment." Kat grinned.

"I'm going back to sleep."

"oooh, fine, fine, do what you want. Sure you don't want to stay up with me?"

"You really want me to?"

Kat blanched at the look on his face. "I get it, I get it. Don't make me feel worse than I already do. But hey, I wouldn't exactly have been unwilling-"

"Out."

"Night night, handsome." She walked back over to the room, and turned. "You know you can be kind of a softie, can't ya?"

A click was heard. Kat gave a little "eep!" and shut the door to the bedroom.

Hiruma flopped back onto the couch, suddenly exhausted, but unable to sleep. He put his hands behind his head again and listened to the silence of the apartment, the cars passing, and, eventually, Kazumi's voice as she phased to the surface again.

* * *

Kazumi bolted awake, a clammy sweat all over her body. She had the dream again. _That _dream. Shivering, she climbed out of bed and paced back and forth.

_**Can't sleep?**_

_Why do you think I can't, you horrible parasite?_

…_**Sorry.**_

_Why did you do it? Why did you ruin it? Give me a good reason!_

_**I did it for your own good. To keep you from going back.**_

_I hate you._

_**I know. I live in that hate every day. I feel it all the time.**_

_Don't make me sound like the bad guy!_

_**I wasn't trying to-**_

_JUST SHUT UP, AND GET OUT OF MY HEAD. THE SOONER THE BETTER._

_**I'll go when I've completed what I've come to do, like I told you.**_

_Making my life miserable? Ruining me? Is that what you're doing?_

_**In a way, yes. But not-**_

_FOR ONCE WOULD YOU JUST NOT ANSWER A REHTORICAL QUESTION?_

…_**Goodnight, Kazumi.**_

She was gone, for the time being. Kazumi stopped pacing, and leaned against the wall.

"I will get rid of you… somehow, I will get rid of you…" She started to cry.

* * *

**R&R! :)**

**Whispers  
**


End file.
